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Press Release

Nigerian Ringleader of International Investment Scam Charged with Fraud, Money Laundering and Identity Theft

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas
Scheme Allegedly Defrauded Victims in More Than 20 Countries of More Than $7 Million

HOUSTON - A Nigerian national was charged in court documents unsealed today for his role as the alleged ringleader of an international advance-fee scheme.

The scam allegedly involved false promises of investment funding by individuals who impersonated U.S. bank officials in person and over the internet to victims around the world who were told they had to make certain payments before they could supposedly receive their funding. Proceeds of the scheme were allegedly laundered through U.S. bank accounts and diverted back to the scheme’s perpetrators in Nigeria.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Robert Smolich of the U.S. Department of State - Office of Inspector General (DOS-OIG) made the announcement. 

Osondu Victor Igwilo, 49, of Lagos, Nigeria, was charged in a complaint filed in the Southern District of Texas in December 2016 and unsealed today. The complaint charges Igwilo with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of aggravated identity theft. Igwilo remains a fugitive.     

As alleged in the complaint, Igwilo was the leader of a criminal network of “catchers,” who sent phishing emails to potential victims falsely offering investment funding on behalf of BB&T Corporation, a U.S. bank headquartered in North Carolina. When victims were interested in the supposed investment funding, Igwilo allegedly dispatched U.S. citizens whom he had recruited over the internet to pose as “representatives” of BB&T to meet in person with the victims and sign a supposed investment agreement on behalf of BB&T. When traveling to the countries where the victims resided, these representatives, at Igwilo’s direction, would visit the local U.S. embassy or consulate and employ fake documents with fraudulent seals of the U.S. government to deceive the victims into believing that the investment agreement was sponsored by the U.S. government, according to the complaint. Igwilo then allegedly used the representatives and catchers to convince victims to make wire payments to bank accounts in the United States on the false belief that such payments were necessary to effectuate the investment agreements. The complaint further alleges the holders of the U.S. bank accounts were “money movers” who disposed of the funds as directed by Igwilo, including by purchasing luxury vehicles from brands such as Mercedes Benz and Range Rover and shipping them to Nigeria.

Uche Diuno, 52, also of Lagos, was charged in a separate case in a second superseding indictment filed Oct. 3, 2018, with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of concealment money laundering. Diuno was arrested in Paris, France, on Sept. 29, 2018, and is awaiting extradition.

As alleged in the second superseding indictment, Diuno was a “chairman” or leader in the scheme who operated his own network of catchers and money movers alongside Igwilo’s which he used in furtherance of the same BB&T investment scam. 

Seven other individuals have been charged to date as part of the same investigation including Uju Okigbo, 49, and Chioma Okafor, 29, both of Houston and alleged money movers; Tochukwu Nwosisi, 47, of Indianapolis, Indiana, also an alleged money mover; and Marita Ranalan Underwood, 62, of Manila, Philippines, John Christian Rutledge, 65, of Yaphank, New York, Osa May Martin, 69, of Carthage, Missouri, and Tiffany Sourjohn, 48, of Miami, Oklahoma, all alleged representatives.

Okigbo, Okafor, Rutledge and Sourjohn have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Underwood remains a fugitive. Martin and Nwosisi are pending trial.  

The FBI and DOS-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Suzanne Elmilady of the Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorney William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. AUSA Kristine Rollinson is handling forfeiture aspects of the case.

 

The charges in the complaint and second superseding indictment are merely allegations.

Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Updated December 18, 2018

Topic
Financial Fraud