Animashaun Adebo, a Nigerian national, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy over a scheme that caused more than $50 million in losses to victims in the United States.
Adebo, also known as “Kazeem” and “Kazeem Animashaun”, entered the plea in a Federal Court in Brooklyn, New York.
Joseph Nocella Jr, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the development.
Prosecutors said Adebo and his co-conspirators carried out Business Email Compromise (BEC) and romance scams between April 2021 and March 2022. The scheme targeted individuals and small businesses across the United States.
Authorities said the group used spoofed emails and false identities to trick victims into transferring funds. The funds were then diverted into accounts controlled by the syndicate.
Prosecutors said the proceeds were laundered through shell companies and accounts in the US and abroad. Some of the funds were also used to purchase luxury watches.
“The defendant and his network of criminal associates perpetrated sophisticated frauds targeting victims here in Brooklyn and throughout the country. Schemes like these cause enormous hardship and financial losses to victims every year.
“Our Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize prosecuting these online criminal actors and getting victims their hard-earned money back,” Nocella said.
Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the US Secret Service in New York, said the fraud caused significant hardship.
His words: “The staggering number of monetary losses this defendant and his network of thieves inflicted on innocent, hardworking, and good people caused significant financial hardship and distress.
“Let this sentence send a message to other cyber-criminals out there: You won’t get away with your crimes forever.”
Authorities said Adebo received part of the fraudulent proceeds through corporate bank accounts in Nigeria.
Idowu Ademoroti, a co-defendant, has already been convicted and sentenced for his role in the scheme.
Nelson Ojeriakhi, another defendant, was arrested in France and extradited to the US, where he has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Noguan Marvellous Eboigbe, also named in the case, remains at large.
The case is being handled by the business and securities fraud section of the US Attorney’s Office.
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