Three Nigerians, William Elvis, Moses Hezekiah, and Destiny Oghentega, have been charged in a United States federal court in Rhode Island over their alleged involvement in an online romance and wire fraud scheme.
A statement obtained on the Department of Justice’s website on Thursday stated that the suspects were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The statement noted that court documents indicated that the alleged fraud scheme began around early 2021 and involved multiple conspirators targeting victims through online impersonation.
It noted that the suspects and their accomplices posed as professionals working overseas and developed relationships with victims over time.
The statement read, “Victims, including an elderly Rhode Island resident, were contacted by individuals who falsely portrayed themselves as professionals working overseas and, over time, developed relationships with them.
“The conspirators then made repeated requests for money under pretences, including claims of financial hardship, legal issues, or medical emergencies.
“Victims were directed to send funds through gift cards, Bitcoin transactions, and other means, including transfers to accounts controlled by participants in the scheme.”
The statement continues that investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that the identities used in the scheme were stolen and used without the knowledge of the real individuals.
It added that the FBI also traced the communications and financial transactions connected to the fraud to the defendants in Nigeria.
Prosecutors noted that the victims lost substantial amounts of money over the course of the scheme.
“Victims sent substantial sums of money over the course of the scheme. The investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that the identities used were misappropriated and used without the individuals’ knowledge, and that communications and financial activity were traced to the defendants in Nigeria,” it added.
The statement, however, emphasised that the charges remain allegations, noting that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Meanwhile, a United States-based Nigerian, Ifeanyi Ugwu, is facing up to years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business involving more than $5m in illegally obtained funds.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, Eric Grant, had stated that Ugwu, 49, of Bakersfield, admitted to running the illegal operation between December 2020 and August 2023.
