Nigerian Email Scammers Sentenced to  22+ Years in Federal Prison

The Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham has announced that two Nigerian fraudsters arrested in DOJ’s Operation have been sentenced to a combined 22 ½ years in federal prison.

According to JUSTICE.GOV, Abidemi Adeoso, 46, pleaded guilty in June of 2020 to 17 counts of wire fraud, eight counts of money laundering, six counts of use of a false passport, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Adeoso was sentenced on Thursday by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn to 151 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $9.3 million in restitution.

As reported by JUSTICE.GOV Benjamin Adeleke Ifebajo, 47, pleaded guilty in March 2020 to seven counts of wire fraud, six counts of money laundering, four counts of use of a false passport, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

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Ifebajo was sentenced in June to 120 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $2.1 million in restitution.

FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Matthew J. DeSarno said: “These defendants utilized multiple tactics to deceive unsuspecting businesses out of their money. By assuming fictitious identities they defrauded dozens, which risks business health and in turn, erodes overall economic health. Jamb Result

“Along with our federal law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold fraudsters accountable for their crimes and the harm they cause.”

In a report filed by JUSTICE.GOV, according to court documents, the defendants admitted they used fraudulent passports to open individual bank accounts under assumed names. Other members of the conspiracy then sent phishing emails – which spoofed the email addresses of victims’ employers, supervisors, and other known business contacts – to numerous individuals prompting them to initiate wire transfers from their personal bank accounts or from their employer’s bank accounts. Information Guide Nigeria

JUSTICE.GOV reveals that once the money hit the defendants’ accounts, they withdrew the money, often tens of thousands of dollars at a time, in cash, via cashiers’ checks, or through electronic transfer, then deposited the funds into other alias accounts. Occasionally, they made purchases with the money.

According to JUSTICE.GOV, Mr. Adeoso is believed to have used aliases including, but not limited to: Peter Kuffor, George Macharty, Michael Jeff Brown, Nelson Johnson, Braheem Larke, Michael Albert, Michael Jaden Sean, and Benjamin Zee Brown.

Also, Mr. Ifebajo is believed to have used aliases including, but not limited to: Jeremiah Alex Malcom, Tidwell Anthony Wilson, Joseph Eric Johnson, and Andrew James Williams.

According to JUSTICE.GOV, a third co-conspirator, Temitope Aminat Folorunsho, 35, pleaded guilty in July 2020 to multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, use of false passport, and conspiracy and was sentenced in July 2021 to 37 months in federal prison and ordered to pay roughly $221,000 in restitution. Ms. Folorunsho used aliases Terri L. Brown, Michelle Angel Cole, Robyn L. Granell, and Deborah Kiki Philip.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, and Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers prosecuted the case.

( JUSTICE.GOV)

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