Romance Scam: U.S Court Jails Nigerian For 75 Months Over $10m Fraud

A United States District Court has sentenced one Benard Okorhi (42), a resident of Lagos, Nigeria, to seventy-five months in federal prison for scamming individuals and U.S. citizens to the tune of $ 10 million.

The Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr disclosed this while explaining how Okorhi compromised email accounts to steal from businesses and also used romance scams on internet dating sites to defraud individuals.

“Evidence presented in court revealed that Okorhi and others, some U.S. citizens, some residents of Ghana and Nigeria–created fake profiles on online dating ser vices to entice people looking for companionship into fraudulent relationships. Once the victim was fully involved, the scammers would develop elaborate storylines that always required the victim to send financial assistance to his or her beloved. The group also compromised the email networks of many businesses, redirecting wires intended to pay for services or goods to bank accounts under the control of the scammers. The money was subsequently moved through a number of bank accounts before ultimately being sent to Africa,” Murphy said as cited on U.S. department of Justice’s website on Wednesday.

Okorhi, who was sentenced on June 11, was not the only one reported to be involved in the international conspiracy, as his accomplices were said to be at large.

He was operating outside the U.S. but luck ran out on him when he was arrested from an undisclosed country and extradited to the U.S. for prosecution.

“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 Okhori. Ayodeji Ojo has been arrested in Nigeria and is awaiting extradition,” the department stated.