NEWS
Three Female US Citizens, One Nigerian Male Sentenced Over Advanced Fee Fraud
A United States’ Court, for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, has found guilty and sentenced four people over allegations involving advanced fee fraud to tune of $2.6 million.
The four convicts included three female Americans and one male Nigerian.
This was contained in a statement issued by Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, District of Guam, Carmela Rapadas, under the headline, “Four Defendants Sentenced for their Roles in Advance Fee Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme”.
The four convicts, who bagged different sentences include, Sally Cruz Roberto, (F), (56), from Santa Rita, Guam, sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment; Monique Jones, (F), (49), from Dallas, Texas, sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment; Mekayda D. Jones, (F), (24), from Dallas, Texas, sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment; and Okechukwu F. Iwuji, (M) (38), a Nigerian citizen, who previously resided in Orlando, Florida, sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment.
All the four had additional terms to their sentencing including refund of some of the monies deemed to have been fraudulently obtained.
Rapadas stated, “Defendants and members of the conspiracy fraudulently obtained approximately $2,600,000 by inducing Guam-based victim-investors to first pay bogus fees and other expenses purportedly associated with a multimillion-dollar inheritance before they could collect any promised funds.”
The full text of the statement reads, “SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that the following defendants were sentenced in the United States District Court of Guam for their involvement in an advance fee and money laundering scheme.
“Defendants and members of the conspiracy fraudulently obtained approximately $2,600,000 by inducing Guam-based victim-investors to first pay bogus fees and other expenses purportedly associated with a multimillion-dollar inheritance before they could collect any promised funds.
“U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour sentenced the following defendants for their respective roles in this criminal scheme:
“Sally Cruz Roberto, age 56, from Santa Rita, Guam, was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment; three years supervised release; ordered to pay $1,030,990 in restitution, a $3,900 mandatory assessment fee, and a $1,030,990 forfeiture money judgment.
“She was sentenced on August 15, 2023, after a jury found her guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 38 counts of wire fraud.
“As part of the conspiracy, Roberto obtained $1,030,990 of victim funds and used her bank account to wire those funds to stateside bank accounts of other co-conspirators.
“Monique Jones, age 49, from Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment; three years supervised release; ordered to pay $578,130 in restitution, a $2,700 mandatory assessment fee, and a $1,111,280 forfeiture money judgment.
“She was sentenced on August 15, 2023, after a jury found her guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 25 counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
“Mekayda D. Jones, age 24, from Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment; three years supervised release; ordered to pay $387,160 in restitution, a $1,600.00 mandatory assessment fee, and a $801,210 forfeiture money judgment.
“She was sentenced on August 15, 2023, after a jury found her guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
“As part of the conspiracies, Monique and Mekayda Jones perpetuated the fraud by maintaining bank accounts in the names of shell corporations to receive, withdraw, and transfer victim funds to other co-conspirators in the United States and Nigeria.
“In exchange, they kept at least 10 percent of victim funds that flowed into bank accounts they controlled.
“Okechukwu F. Iwuji, age 38, a Nigerian citizen, who previously resided in Orlando, Florida, was sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment; three years supervised release; ordered to pay $475,710 in restitution, a $100 mandatory assessment fee, and a $475,710 forfeiture money judgment.
“He was sentenced on August 17, 2023, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
“As part of the conspiracy, Iwuji obtained at least $475,710 of victim funds from Roberto and other co-conspirators and transferred some funds to third party-Nigerian bank accounts.
“This far-ranging conspiracy preyed on 60 victims, nearly all of whom live in Guam,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.
“These scams are difficult to investigate and prosecute due to the interstate and transnational nature of the criminal activity.
“Our success in this matter is the result of a team effort across multiple jurisdictions, with outstanding leadership by prosecutor David.
“We will continue to pursue the collection of restitution for those harmed by the defendants’ conduct. The public must remain vigilant against this type of fraud.”
“This sentence should make the public aware that these types of advanced fee, associated with inheritance scams, will be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill.
“If it is too good to be true, it probably is. If you feel you have been scammed, please contact the FBI at (800) 225-5324 (CALL-FBI) or report it to tips.fbi.gov.”
“The investigation was led by the FBI Guam Resident Agency with the assistance of FBI field offices in Dallas and Atlanta; Homeland Security Investigations in Orlando, Florida; the U.S. Secret Service in Dallas; and the Guam Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Marivic P. David, First Assistant United States Attorney and Criminal Chief in the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.”
The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has announced that the portal for student loan applications will officially open on May 24, 2024.
This development is part of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund’s efforts to enhance access to higher education, as stated by the Fund’s media lead, Nasir Ayantogo, on Thursday night.
According to Ayantogo, the launch of the application portal is a significant step in President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to providing accessible and inclusive education for Nigerian students.
This initiative follows the signing of the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023, by President Tinubu on June 12, 2023 which aims to provide interest-free loans to financially disadvantaged students pursuing higher education in Nigeria.
Dele Alake, a member of the former Presidential Strategy Team, noted that this move fulfills one of President Tinubu’s key campaign promises to liberalize funding for education.
The Act, popularly known as the Students Loan Law, also established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to handle all loan requests, grants, disbursements, and recoveries.
Initially, the government announced that the scheme would launch in September, but it faced several delays, resulting in an indefinite postponement in early March.
The Presidency attributed the delay to President Tinubu’s directive to expand the scheme to include loans for vocational skills.
Following a briefing from the NELFUND team led by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, on January 22, President Tinubu instructed the Fund to extend interest-free loans to Nigerian students interested in skill-development programs.
President Tinubu stressed the importance of including those who may not seek university education, noting that skill acquisition is equally as important as earning academic degrees.
He had said, “This is not an exclusive programme. It is catering to all of our young people. Young Nigerians are gifted in different areas.
“This is not only for those who want to be doctors, lawyers, and accountants. It is also for those who aspire to use their skilled and trained hands to build our nation.
“In accordance with this, I have instructed NELFUND to explore all opportunities to inculcate skill-development programmes because not everybody wants to go through a full university education,”
Through the portal, students can now access loans to pursue their academic aspirations without financial constraints.
According to the statement, the portal features a user-friendly interface, allowing students to conveniently submit their loan applications.
The statement added, “We encourage all eligible students to take advantage of this opportunity to invest in their future and contribute to the growth and development of our nation. Students can access the portal on www.nelf.gov.ng to begin application.”
President Bola Tinubu received Senegal’s newly elected President, Bassirou Faye, at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Faye, who arrived at 3:09 p.m., is making his first official visit to Nigeria since taking office last month.
At 44, he is the youngest president in Senegalese history, having secured a decisive victory in April’s delayed presidential election with over 54% of the vote.
More to follow……..
In the devastating arson that occurred on Wednesday during an early morning prayer in Gaza village near Gezawa in Kano State, eleven people have been confirmed dead.
The perpetrator, 38-year-old Shafiu Abubakar, set fire to a mosque amidst an inheritance dispute, trapping around 40 worshippers inside.
Rabiu Gadan, a resident of the village, disclosed that 11 individuals have tragically succumbed to the burns they suffered.
Of these victims, eight have already been laid to rest, while preparations are underway for the burial of the remaining three, scheduled for Thursday.
Rabiu revealed that the attack was not the first instance of violence involving Shafiu. Previously, he had assaulted two of his older brothers and then voluntarily surrendered himself to the police, claiming responsibility for their deaths.
Another resident, Malam Garba, said, “He has always been troubled, but when he challenged his family to give him his portion of the inheritance, they did.
“He was even taken to a mental institution once when he attacked his relatives but he was given a clean bill of health. So, he was clearly in his right mind when he set the fire, two of his uncles died and we buried them yesterday already.”
According to BIZTELLERS reports, the assailant is currently in police custody, where he has confessed to his actions.
He cited frustration with the way some of the victims handled the inheritance sharing as his motive. Despite warning his family members to stop maltreating him, he claimed his pleas were ignored.
He however expressed no regret for his actions.
Residents confirmed the existence of an inheritance dispute within the family, but the precise nature of the disagreement remained unclear.
At the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano, where the injured were rushed for treatment, distraught relatives anxiously awaited news about the condition of their loved ones.
Maijida, one of the distressed relatives, shared her heartache, expressing fear over the condition of her father and brothers.
“My father and two brothers are severely injured and I was told some people have died already, what will I do if I lose them, I will be left all alone.” she lamented.
One of the residents that attempted to rescue the victims, Musa Muhammad Gadan said, “I was late going to the prayers, but as I was rushing to the mosque, I heard a blasting noise and then I heard people screaming so I rushed over, the flames had engulfed the building, I and some others tried to rescue them and that is how I sustained burns on my arms.
During a visit to the victims at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Deputy Inspector General of Police AIG Umar Mamman Sanda, in charge of Zone 1 in Kano, confirmed the devastating loss of eight lives on Wednesday.
He was accompanied by a delegation of security personnel, including the Commissioner of Police in the state and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS).
He said, “The suspect was said to be not satisfied with the distribution and was reacting to that. He is presently with us and is giving useful information. It is really unfortunate.”
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