A 42 year old Nigerian big boy, Bernard Okorhi, has been sentenced to 75 months in federal prison in the US, fir his role in an $million international fraud.
It was gathered that Okorhi, his brother Victor Okorhi, and others used compromised email accounts to steal from businesses and romance scams on internet dating sites to trick individuals into wiring money overseas.
The scheme is estimated to have cost residents of the US approximately $8million. The whole scheme is estimated to have netted over $10million worldwide during the criminal enterprise’s five year lifespan.
Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr. Announced the sentence on Wednesday, June 16 stating that, “evidence presented in court revealed that Okorhi and others, some US Citizens, some residents of Ghana and Nigeria created fake profiles on online dating services to entice people looking for companionship into fraudulent relationships.
Once the victim was fully involved, the scammers would develop elaborate storylines that always require the victim to send financial assistance to his/her beloved. The group also compromised the email net of many businesses, redirecting wires intended to pay for services or goods to bank accounts under control of the scammers. The money was subsequently moved through several bank accounts before being ultimately sent to Africa.
Okorhi Maxwell Peter and BabaTunde Martins were arrested overseas and extradited to the United States for prosecution. Several of their alleged Co-conspirators remain at large, including Dennis Miah, Sumaila Hardi Wumpini and Okorhi’s brother Victor Okorhi. Ayodeji Ojo has been arrested in Nigeria and is awaiting extradition.
