Three Nigerians were sentenced to prison in the US for their part in a calculated fraud scheme that preyed on the elderly and vulnerable, authorities say.
Fatai Okunola, 38, from Kalamazoo, received a sentence of just over 10 years, along with a restitution order of more than $730,000. His punishment included five years for making false statements during naturalisation and a decade for money laundering, with all terms slated to run concurrently.
Two Dallas residents were also sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. Oluwaseyi Adeola, 34, faces nearly three years in prison, along with an order to repay approximately $410,000. Meanwhile, Ijeoma Adeola, 36, was given three years’ probation for misprision of a felony, along with a restitution payment of just under $49,000.
The defendants colluded with associates in Nigeria to orchestrate a heartless scam targeting US residents, particularly the elderly and those in vulnerable positions. Employing false identities, the Nigerian partners built deceitful relationships using internet, social media, text, and phone, ultimately coaxing money from their victims.
Victims were manipulated into sending their hard-earned funds directly to the defendants, who had opened numerous bank accounts and secured P.O. boxes under pseudonyms and shell companies. This web of deceit allowed them to shuffle the stolen money between themselves and their Nigerian counterparts with ease.
In a further betrayal, Okunola misdirected some of the stolen funds to help others purchase vehicles in the US, which were then shipped to Nigeria, deepening the levels of exploitation.
Between 2017 and 2022, this elaborate scheme raked in over $2 million, leaving countless victims to face financial devastation.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten remarked, “Financial fraud is not a ‘faceless’ crime — and today’s sentencings represent a measure of justice for the victims of this international fraud scheme.” He noted that many victims “lost their retirement savings, took loans against their homes, or faced severe financial distress because of the defendants’ deceit.”
Totten underscored the defendants’ malicious use of modern technology, including the internet and social media platforms, to prey on those least able to defend themselves.
