A federal grand jury in the United States has found two Nigerian nationals guilty of internet fraud following a four-day trial.
According to a statement from the Justice Department, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, were convicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in Albuquerque on Monday.
The pair conspired with other suspects to defraud a woman of nearly $560,000 in a romance scam, officials reported. They were part of a syndicate that included Nigerian celebrity auto dealer Adesuwa Ogiozee, who has denied all fraud charges and claims that the FBI and other U.S. authorities are unfairly targeting her due to her Nigerian heritage.
“On September 27, 2016, the victim wired approximately $28,000 to a Woodforest Bank account in the name of Daramola Cars, as instructed by the fraudulent ‘Glenn Brown’ persona. Daramola subsequently transferred $18,000 to a seafood importer in Denmark and issued a cheque for $14,000.
Although Daramola denied any involvement in the romance scheme, the FBI’s investigation revealed extensive evidence, including text and WhatsApp communications on Daramola’s phone, indicating he provided bank accounts for various fraud schemes, including romance scams.
Ogunlaja was implicated for using his Bank of America account to receive funds from the fraudulent activities. Specifically, on March 9 and March 15, 2016, ‘Glenn Brown’ directed the victim to deposit $20,000 in cash into Ogunlaja’s account. After these deposits, Ogunlaja made several cash withdrawals and transferred funds to Daramola’s account,” authorities stated.
Both convicts were ordered to remain on bail until their sentencing, which has yet to be scheduled. Prosecutors indicated that the duo faces a potential 20-year prison sentence, although the length of time recommended during the pre-sentencing hearing remains unclear.
