October 08, (THEWILL) – A United States federal grand jury has indicted eleven Nigerians for allegedly defrauding elderly Americans in romance scams.
They were arrested during a large-scale operation on September 22, 2021 by the FBI in DFW, Eastern District of Texas, Dallas, Lubbock and Los Angeles.
According to court documents, the suspects allegedly preyed on elderly victims, many of whom were widowed or divorced by assuming fake names in dating sites like Match.com, ChistianMingle, JSwipe, and PlentyofFish.
Charged with financial crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, the indictment document said, majority of the suspects have ties to a transnational organized crime syndicate originating in Nigeria.
According to court documents, the 11 defendants are: David Animashaun, 38; Oluwalobamise Michael Moses, 40; Irabor Fatarr Musa, 51; Ijeoma Okoro, 31; Chukwemeka Orji, 36; Emanuel Stanley Orji, 35; Frederick Orji, 37; Uwadiale Esezobor, 36; Victor Idowu, 36; Afeez Abiola Alao, 37; and Ambrose Sunday Ohide, 47.
The U.S. attorney’s office said, the suspects have between 2015 and 2020, siphoned tens of thousands of dollars from their victims.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
Speaking on the alleged crime, Acting U.S. Attorney, Prerak Shah at a press conference announcing the charges said the crimes, “are especially despicable because they rely not only on victims’ lack of internet savvy, but also, their isolation, their loneliness, and sometimes their grief.
“As the victims open their hearts, the perpetrators open their wallets. The only mistake these victims make is being generous to the wrong people.”
Matthew DeSarno, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Dallas field office, said, “The crimes allegedly committed by these defendants hit close to home. Your neighbors, parents, friends and family would be targets of this organization. The fraudsters intimidated and berated their victims, ruined their lives, really, and then disappeared.”
According to data by the FBI, more than 20,000 people lost more than $600 million in romance scams in 2020 alone
