A Nigerian man, Okechukwu Iwuji, and two American women, Sally Roberto and Monique Jones, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a sophisticated advance fee and money laundering scheme that defrauded over 60 investors from Guam of more than $2 million.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Guam, the trio lured their victims into believing that they were entitled to a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a deceased relative in Nigeria, but they had to pay various fees and taxes before they could receive it.
The scam ran from 2016 to 2019 and involved multiple co-conspirators who posed as lawyers, bankers, diplomats, and government officials to convince the investors to send money to different bank accounts controlled by Iwuji, Roberto, and Jones.
The fraudsters also used fake documents, such as certificates of deposit, inheritance letters, and diplomatic pouches, to make their scheme look legitimate.
However, the investors never received any inheritance money and instead lost their life savings to the scammers.
The FBI investigated the case and arrested the three main culprits in 2020. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and were sentenced by Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood of the District Court of Guam this week.
Iwuji, 38, a Nigerian citizen who previously resided in Orlando, Florida, was sentenced to 45 months imprisonment; Roberto, 56, from Santa Rita, Guam, was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment; and Jones, 49, from Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment.
They were also ordered to pay restitution, forfeit their ill-gotten gains, and serve three years of supervised release after completing their prison terms.
Shawn Anderson, the US Attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, said that the case was a result of a team effort across multiple jurisdictions and warned the public to be vigilant against this type of fraud.
“This far-ranging conspiracy preyed on 60 victims, nearly all of whom live in Guam,” Anderson said in a statement.
“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 defendant’s conduct. The public must remain vigilant against this type of fraud,” Anderson added.
Steven Merrill, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Honolulu Field Office, said that the FBI would continue to pursue such cases and urged the public to be cautious when dealing with unsolicited offers of money.
“This sentence should make the public aware that these types of advance fees, associated with inheritance scams, will be investigated by the FBI and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If it is too good to be true, it probably is,” Merrill said.
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