By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
A court in the US state of Ohio has convicted at least twenty-five people, mostly Nigerians and at least one Ghanaian, in connection with wire fraud that involved the use of hacked emails to defraud suspects across 47 states of the United States. The victims, numbering about 1,000, were defrauded of various amounts ranging from a few thousand to millions of dollars, totaling 215 million dollars.
Within the week, a jury in Toledo, Ohio, after a one-day trial, convicted Michael Awoyemi, Drake Aruan, and Peter Reed of Wire Fraud Conspiracy, according to a report yesterday by the US Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio. The report observed that, “According to court documents and evidence presented in court, individuals, businesses, and other organizations in the United States were targeted and hacked by Nigerian-linked fraud organizations.”
The fraud which the court revealed also spanned across at least 19 countries including Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Kuwait, Malaysia, Panama, Bermuda, Romania, and many others, led to loses for business like Norwalk, Kent, Akron, Hudson, Maple Heights, Westfield Center, New Riegel, and Greenwich, all in Ohio, United States.
The following were recovered from the fraudsters by seizure or forfeiture; “Nearly $1.2 million worth of cashier’s checks, cryptocurrency, and cash, Patek Philippe Nautilus watch, $45,000 value, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch, $30,000 value, Richard Mille Felipe Massa watch, $140,000 value, 4,423 square foot residence in Lawrenceville, Georgia,” according to report from the attorney’s office.
Other Nigerians and Ghanaian who pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy and Money Laundry Conspiracy include; “Ayobami Osas Christopher, aka Lovely Man, 30, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Emmauel Okereke, aka Omo Igbo, 42, a Nigerian national, residing in Atlanta, Olalekan Bashiru, aka Ola Bash, 36, a Nigerian national, residing in Chicago, Mark Dabney, 26, of Chicago, Casey Adesulu Jr., 28, of Houston, Jeremiah Agina, 29, a Nigerian national, residing in Houston, Ayorinde Emmanuel Adebayo, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Olympia Fields, Illinois, Emily Agyemang, 35, of Joliet, Illinois, Ademola Balogun, 43, a Nigerian national, residing in Chicago, Olabode Bankole, 37, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Loganville, Georgia, India Barnes, 37, of Atlanta, Emmanuel Essilfie, 28, a Ghanaian national, residing in Naperville, Illinois, Chukwuemeka Evulukwu, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Atlanta, Jeremiah Glinsey, 32, of Chicago, Lon Goodman, 69, of Whiting, Indiana, Shaquille I. Jackson, 33, of Chicago, Mikhail Keize, 31, of Loganville, Georgia, Katiera Lackey, 25, of Houston, Kingsley Owusu, 37, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Chicago, Anton Parker, 37, of Chicago, Carlton Pruitt, 27, of Bellwood, Illinois, and Ronnell Spencer, 35, of Chicago,” according to the report by the US Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio.
