Two Nigerians have been arrested and facing up to 30 years imprisonment in the United States (US) for committing crimes bordering on various fraud schemes ranging from romance scams and pandemic unemployment assistance fraud. They are 36-year-old Osakpamwan Henry Omoruyi and 34-year-old Osaretin Godspower Omoruyi
The US Department of Justice(DOJ), Washington, announced this in a statement yesterday, saying that Osakpamwan and Osaretin previously resided in Canton. And they have been indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.
According to the DOJ, in March 2021, Osakpamwan and Osaretin were charged by criminal complaint.
In the charging documents, Osakpamwan and Osaretin, along with other co-conspirators, allegedly participated in a series of romance and other online scams designed to defraud victims into sending money to accounts and debit cards they controlled. The DOJ in the statement further explained how the various scams were perpetrated and the penalties they carry when convicted.
They said, “Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. To carry out the schemes, the defendants allegedly used fake passports in the names of others to open numerous bank accounts and directed victims to send money to these accounts. They allegedly used the accounts to collect fraudulent pandemic unemployment benefits in the names of beneficiaries who did not apply for such benefits.
“The charge of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud comes with a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture.
Also, “The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture.
“The charge of unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, or twice the value of the criminally derived property, whichever is greater, and forfeiture.
“Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors,” the DOJ added.
The DOJ explained that case would be prosecuted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit.
