Nine Nigerians have been reportedly arrested over alleged electronic fraud in the United State of America (USA), authorities have disclosed.
Reports also suggests that each accused persons may likely face a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.
According to a statement published on the official website of USA attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman, and Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) Special Agent-in-Charge of the Tampa, Florida, Field Office of U.S., James Spero, on Thursday.
Mr Spero reportedly said: “A transnational criminal organisation allegedly conducting illicit domestic and international wire fraud has been dismantled thanks to the hard work of HSI Tampa and Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The suspects are Oluwaseun Adelekan, 36; Olalekan Daramola, 35; Solomon Aburekhanlen, 32; Gbenga Oyeneyin, 32; Abiola Olajumoke, 46; Temitope Omotayo, 36; Bryan Eadie, 35; Albert Lucas, 29; and Ademola Adebogun, 38.
The US official said some of the suspects were arrested for allegedly posing as oil workers in Russia.
The statement said the suspects are charged with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud.
The defendants are accused of participating in a scheme to defraud businesses and individuals through several categories of false and misleading representations.
“As alleged, these defendants deployed three different email schemes to defraud their victims. The common denominator in all three schemes was the defendants’ alleged fleecing of their victims through fictitious online identities,” Mr Berman said.
“The schemes allegedly earned the defendants $3.5 million – and also arrests on federal felony charges.
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