Onoimoimilin was alleged to have participated in a money-laundering conspiracy that swindled more than $2.2 million (N908 million) from victims using Business Email Compromise and romance scams.
A Nigerian man, Akhabue Onoimoimilin, aka David Harrison,
has been sentenced to (87 months) 7 years imprisonment in the United States for
his involvement in a money-laundering conspiracy of over $2.2 million.
Onoimoimilin was alleged to have participated in a money-laundering conspiracy that swindled more than $2.2 million (N908 million) from victims using Business Email Compromise and romance scams.
A US District Judge, Robert Pitman ordered that
Onoimoimilin pay $865, 210.78 in restitution to his victims and be placed on
supervised release for two years after his prison term.
Pitman also ordered a money judgment of $50,605 against
Onoimoimilin in the proceeds he received from the scheme, Gazette reported.
On February 2, 2021, Onoimoimilin pleaded guilty to one
count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, admitting that beginning before
June 2015, he used a fraudulent foreign passport in the name of David Harrison
to open bank accounts in Austin and Houston.
Onoimoimilin allegedly used these financial accounts to
receive, launder and distribute wire transfers to coconspirators illegally
receiving proceeds of BEC and romance schemes.
For his efforts, the Nigerian collected between 10 per
cent and 15 per cent of more than $420,000 in fraudulently obtained funds.
Special Agent Tim Tubbs of the Homeland Security
Investigation's San Antonio Division said, “the types of fraud committed by
Onoimoimilin not only have lasting ramifications for the affected victims but
also threaten the integrity of our country’s financial systems.”
In a BEC scheme, scammers target businesses and
individuals making wire transfer payments, especially those with access to
company finances. The scammers trick the employees into making wire transfer
payments to bank accounts thought to belong to trusted partners, but the money
ends up in accounts controlled by the scammers.
Sometimes the scammers use computer intrusion techniques
to alter legitimate payment request emails, changing the recipient bank
accounts. Sometimes they send spoofed emails from email addresses similar to
the real email accounts used by trusted partners.
In romance scams, conspirators often located outside the US review established online dating sites, targeting victims who appear lonely based upon their profiles. The fraudsters create fake profiles and exploit the emotional vulnerabilities of the victims.
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