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Three Nigerians in the US have been sentenced for their involvement in a prolonged fraud scheme that frequently targeted elderly victims, according to authorities.
Fatai Okunola, 38, of Kalamazoo, received a prison sentence of just over 10 years for his role in the conspiracy and was ordered to pay more than $730,000 in restitution.
Okunola was sentenced to five years for making false statements during naturalization and 10 years for money laundering, with all sentences to run concurrently.
Two residents of Dallas were also sentenced. Oluwaseyi Adeola, 34, was sentenced to nearly three years in prison and ordered to pay approximately $410,000 in restitution.
Ijeoma Adeola, 36, received three years’ probation for misprision of a felony and was ordered to pay just under $49,000 in restitution.
The defendants conspired with individuals in Nigeria to scam U.S. residents, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable.
The Nigerian partners used fake personas to develop relationships over the internet, social media, text, or phone, then solicited money from the victims.
Victims were instructed to send funds to the defendants, who opened multiple bank accounts and maintained P.O. boxes under alias names and shell businesses.
The defendants then transferred the money among themselves and to their Nigerian partners.
Okunola also used some funds to assist individuals in purchasing cars in the U.S. and shipping them to Nigeria.
Between 2017 and 2022, the scheme amassed over $2 million.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten stated, “Financial fraud is not a ‘faceless’ crime — and today’s sentencings help secure a measure of justice for the victims of this international fraud scheme.”
He added that some victims “lost their retirement savings, took loans against their homes, or suffered other financial distress because of the defendants’ lies.”
Totten emphasised that the defendants exploited modern technology, including the internet and social media platforms, to prey on elderly and vulnerable victims.
