Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, both Nigerian nationals, have been handed a combined 40-year prison sentence for their roles in a romance scam.
The announcement was made through a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, via the Department of Justice.
The sentencing followed a four-day trial, after which the jury deliberated for less than three hours before delivering the conviction.
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“According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the scheme, which began in January 2016, involved the creation of a fictitious persona named ‘Glenn Brown’ on the dating website eHarmony.com.
Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, both Nigerian nationals, worked with another individual who used this fake profile to initiate a romantic relationship with a victim in Albuquerque, New Mexico and subsequently request money from them.”
The scam led the victim to believe their financial support was essential to help “Glenn Brown” complete a supposed construction project in Malaysia and return safely to the United States.
Between January 2016 and April 2017, the victim transferred about $560,000 to various accounts across the United States, Canada, and Malaysia.
On September 27, 2016, the victim wired approximately $28,000 to a Woodforest Bank account under the name of Daramola Cars, as directed by the fraudulent “Glenn Brown” persona. Daramola later transferred $18,000 to a seafood importer in Denmark and issued a $14,000 check.
While Daramola denied involvement in the romance scam, the FBI uncovered substantial evidence during its investigation, including text and WhatsApp conversations on Daramola’s phone. This evidence implicated him in providing bank accounts for various fraudulent activities, including romance scams.
Ogunlaja’s role was linked to the use of his Bank of America account to receive fraudulent funds.
Specifically, on March 9 and March 15, 2016, the FBI reported that “Glenn Brown” directed the victim to deposit $20,000 in cash into Ogunlaja’s account. Following these deposits, Ogunlaja made several cash withdrawals and transferred funds to Daramola’s account.
After their conviction, the court ordered Ogunlaja and Daramola to remain on release conditions until their sentencing, which is yet to be scheduled.
At sentencing, both Ogunlaja and Daramola could face up to 20 years in prison each, with no option for parole.
Crediblenewsng.com
