U.S. Attorney Scott C. Blader, Western District of Wisconsin, announced the sentence. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
“Let this sentence serve as a reminder that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will continue to aggressively investigate charlatans who prey on the vulnerable to perpetuate financial crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge James M. Gibbons, HSI Chicago. “These types of crimes have devastating effects on the victims and our financial institutions. This close coordination with our law enforcement and judicial partners is essential to bring these criminals to justice.”
“Odiah participated in a scheme that manipulated elderly and other vulnerable individuals with a total disregard for the financial and emotional devastation it caused,” said U.S. Attorney Blader. “Bringing those who prey on our seniors to justice is a top priority of my office.”
While in the United States on a visa, Emmanuel Odiah, 33, a citizen of Nigeria, most recently of Dallas, laundered money for a network of individuals perpetrating computer-based fraud schemes in Nigeria and Ghana.
This network defrauded victims throughout the United States out of money through a variety of schemes, including romance fraud. Odiah’s role was to help collect, conceal, and redirect that money using bank accounts he maintained under two fake identities in the United States. He was able to keep a percentage of the fraud proceeds as a fee for his assistance.
As part of the scheme, Odiah opened and maintained seven U.S. bank accounts to launder fraud proceeds. He opened these accounts using fraudulent passports in the names “James Princeton” and “Ryan Greg Mornson.” Between 2017 and 2019, more than $600,000 in fraud proceeds were deposited into these accounts. Once money was deposited, Odiah, posing as Princeton and Mornson, used a series of smaller, less conspicuous financial transactions to distribute fraud proceeds to those perpetrating the fraud schemes overseas.
In announcing the sentence, the Court found that although Odiah’s role in the charged scheme was limited to money laundering, Odiah was aware that the money being deposited into his bank accounts was from vulnerable people being defrauded.
Odiah pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering Jan. 15, 2020.
U.S. District Judge William M. Conley also considered the tremendous psychological and financial devastation to victims caused by romance fraud and other computer-based fraud schemes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin prosecuted the case.
from ice.gov
Nawa o
ReplyDeleteserves him right.
ReplyDeleteAwon wire wire agents
ReplyDeleteThe greed will never stop!
ReplyDeleteThey will never stop being greedy, trying to so hard to make life a competition.
They want to live the fast life of fame and luxuries without working legitimately for it.
54months (4years and 6months) is too short, he should have been sentenced to at least 12-21 years imprisonment.
Pure greed, nothing else. A country that has been generally good to Nigerians, giving us visa for years and allowing us migrate till our fellow Nigerians spoilt market for everyone. About his sentence, even if it is a month..they know that once you've been incarcerated in the US, that's it. The criminal record remains there for life. You'll never have a good job etc
DeleteWhenever I'm out of the country, I avoid Nigerians wherever I meet them.
ReplyDeleteBad omen.
Like you are any better.
Delete15:50 people will avoid you too, nonsense! Are there no bad non- Nigerians? Are there no good Nigerians? The way you people are selling us out that's how people will view us
DeleteYou could have been a free man if you didn't get involve in financial scam.Well,what can I say.One day for a thief everyday for the owner.I hope you've learnt your lesson.
ReplyDeleteOk,day don break!!
ReplyDeleteThis is NOTHING but greed. I'm sure he didn't think he was going to get caught. Serves him right. As long as anyone does fraud, may they be caught, and served justice.
ReplyDeleteMy ex boyfriend was sentenced for 7 years, served, came out healthy and died 1year later. No sickness, nothing!! All this things they run after is never ends well and is all vanity!!
ReplyDeletePls come back and tell us more. You chop from the wire wire money? I sure say you chop small. Why you no advise am when him been dey send you money? Abi you no know? He told you he was an investment banker in the US then, when you knew he didn't have the qualifications/certifications to be one. May his soul rest in peace. Lesson to most of you women - when you see your young boyfriends or even husbands being suddenly extravagant with unexplained wealth, please run far away. It always never ends well.
DeleteGood for you,may the law catch all of them.
ReplyDeleteA guy from Ibadan (lived in US) was handed a 8year sentence for wire wire. He had a plush house near Felele and drove this yellow Hummer at the time. He was dating a friend back then, he'd visited her mom early 2000, informing her that he was going to return in the near future to formally ask her hand in marriage! She lived in London all that time but frequently went on holiday to Ibadan.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, he got arrested upon arrival in the US, unbeknownst to her. She became concerned when she didn't hear from him for over 2 years or so. Subsequently, one of his friends (who had also had his eye on her) phoned one day to give her a load-down of what had happened to him. Not long afterwards, he telephoned her from prison claiming he'd been struck with Leukaemia!
She pretended she hadn't heard anything at all and was even still eager to continue with their relationship but as soon as this fella touched Naija soil, he went and married one small girl that just graduated secondary school! Come and see the way money was being thrown around!
Finish the story nau...what did your friend do?
Delete