Nine Nigerians arrested in U.S. for alleged fraud

Security operatives in the United States of America have arrested nine Nigerians for allegedly defrauding individuals and businesses of more than $3.5 million.

This was disclosed in a statement published on the website of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman, and Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) Special Agent-in-Charge of the Tampa, Florida, Field Office of U.S., James Spero, on Thursday.

The suspects are Oluwaseun Adelekan, 36; Olalekan Daramola, 35; Solomon Aburekhanlen, 32; Gbenga Oyeneyin, 32; Abiola Olajumoke, 46; Temitope Omotayo, 36; Bryan Eadie, 35; Albert Lucas, 29; and Ademola Adebogun, 38.

According to the statement, the suspects are charged with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud. Each defendant faces a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

The defendants are accused of participating in a scheme to defraud businesses and individuals through several categories of false and misleading representations.

The US official said some of the suspects were arrested for allegedly posing as oil workers in Russia.

“As alleged, these defendants deployed three different email schemes to defraud their victims. The common denominator in all three schemes was the defendants’ alleged fleecing of their victims through fictitious online identities,” Mr Berman said.

– Premium Times