The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified 10 Nigerians among the 25 defendants convicted in a $215 million international scam that targeted over 1,000 victims.
According to the FBI, Nigerian-linked fraud organizations targeted individuals, businesses and other organizations in the US. This allowed them to defraud over 1,000 victims of about $215 million spanning across 47 states and 19 countries.
The FBI highlighted that the defendants were convicted for their roles in a money laundering scheme known as “business e-mail compromise.”
Court documents revealed that;
Their [the defendants’] objective was to gain access to e-mail accounts held by individual users. The co-conspirators would then monitor the communications, and other activities of the individual email users to learn about their business practices and contacts.
After gaining enough information about the victim, the co-conspirators then send fraudulent emails requesting payment.
Because the co-conspirators were familiar with the victims’ activities, the fraudulent e-mails were crafted in a way to convince recipients that the request for payment was for legitimate business activities,.
However, once they obtain payments, they use fraudulently created bank accounts and cash transfer systems to launder the funds.
The main defendants are Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi, Aruan Drake, and Peter Reed.
Others include;
- Ayobami Osas Christopher, aka Lovely Man, 30, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Emmauel Okereke, aka Omo Igbo, 42, a Nigerian national, residing in Atlanta,
- Olalekan Bashiru, aka Ola Bash, 36, a Nigerian national, residing in Chicago
- Mark Dabney, 26, of Chicago
- Casey Adesulu Jr., 28, of Houston
- Jeremiah Agina, 29, a Nigerian national, residing in Houston
- Ayorinde Emmanuel Adebayo, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Olympia Fields, Illinois
- Emily Agyemang, 35, of Joliet, Illinois
- Ademola Balogun, 43, a Nigerian national, residing in Chicago
- Olabode Bankole, 37, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Loganville, Georgia
- India Barnes, 37, of Atlanta
- Emmanuel Essilfie, 28, a Ghanaian national, residing in Naperville, Illinois
- Chukwuemeka Evulukwu, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Atlanta
- Jeremiah Glinsey, 32, of Chicago
- Lon Goodman, 69, of Whiting, Indiana
- Shaquille I. Jackson, 33, of Chicago
- Mikhail Keize, 31, of Loganville, Georgia
- Katiera Lackey, 25, of Houston
- Kingsley Owusu, 37, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Chicago
- Anton Parker, 37, of Chicago
- Carlton Pruitt, 27, of Bellwood, Illinois
- Ronnell Spencer, 35, of Chicago
