The United States government has extradited six Nigerians to face a nine-count federal indictment in cases involving fraud schemes.
According to a statement posted Monday on the US Justice Department website, the six Nigerians were extradited from South Africa to Gulfport, Mississippi, to face a nine-count federal indictment in the Southern District of Mississippi.
The Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and US Attorney Gregory Davis of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement. A total of 21 defendants were charged in the case.
The extradited Nigerians are: Oladimeji Seun Ayelotan, 30; Rasaq Aderoju Raheem, 31; Olusegun Seyi Shonekan, 33; Taofeeq Olamilekan Oyelade, 30; Olufemi Obaro Omoraka, 26; and Anuoluwapo Segun Adegbemigun, 39.
The US government said it was seeking extradition from Nigeria of “defendants Kayode Bamidele, Ajayi Oluwaseyi Stephen and Emmanuel Adeniyi Osokomaiya” while it noted that “defendants Gabriel Oludare Adeniran and Oduntan Sikiru Lawani remain fugitives.”
They were charged along with 15 others in an October 7, 2014, indictment with “conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit identity theft, use of unauthorised account access devices, theft of US government funds and conspiracy to commit money laundering.”
The statement said, “The charges stem from the defendants’ alleged participation in numerous Internet-based complex financial fraud schemes, including romance scams, re-shipping scams, fraudulent cheque scams and work-at-home scams, as well as bank, financial and credit card account takeovers.”
According to the allegations in the indictment, from as early as 2001, the defendants identified and solicited potential victims through online dating websites and work-at-home opportunities. In some instances, the defendants allegedly carried on fictitious online romantic relationships with victims for the purpose of using the victims to further certain objectives of the conspiracy.
“For example, the indictment alleges that the defendants convinced victims to ship and receive merchandise purchased with stolen personal identifying information and compromised credit card and banking information, to deposit counterfeit checks, and to transfer proceeds of the conspiracy via wire, US mail or express delivery services.
“To date, defendants Teslim Olarewaju Kiriji, 30; Olutoyin Ogunlade, 41; and Dennis Brian Ladden, 75, have been convicted of offences relating to their roles in the schemes. Defendants Susan Anne Villeneuve, 49; and Genoveva Farfan, 45; Sesan Olumide Farin, 40; Femi Alexander Mewase, 44; Rhulane Fionah Hlungwane, 24; and Adekunle Adefila, 40, are awaiting trial,” the statement added.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the US Postal Inspection Service.
No comments:
Post a Comment