A dubious Nigerian fraudster who was caught for $6.5million internet fraud has admitted the charges in a court in US.
*Photo of internet fraudster*
Obinna Obioha, age 31, and a citizen of Nigeria, pled guilty today
to wire fraud, and admitted to participating in a scheme to hack into
computers and email accounts in the United States for the purpose of
stealing money from American companies.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S.
Hartunian and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany
Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
As part of his guilty plea, Obioha admitted that, while in Nigeria,
he worked with others to hack into computers and email accounts used by
dozens of victims in the United States and around the world. After
monitoring victims’ information to identify imminent commercial
transactions, Obioha and his associates created knockoff email addresses
that appeared similar to – but varied slightly from – victims’
legitimate email addresses.
Obioha and his associates then used those bogus email accounts to
send fraudulent invoices to victims, instructing them to wire funds to
bank accounts controlled by Obioha and his associates, under the
pretense that the wires were payments for actual deals that had been
previously negotiated by the victims. Obioha admitted that between
January and September 2016, he was involved in at least 50 wire
transfers, and that about $6.5 million was sent to the bank accounts
that he and his associates controlled. The accounts received money from
fraud victims in New York, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, and Texas, among
other places.
Obioha was arrested on October 6, 2016, after flying from Lagos,
Nigeria, to JFK International Airport. He has been in custody since that
time.
United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian said: “Foreign
criminal enterprises prey upon American businesses and are using
increasingly sophisticated means to do so, as demonstrated by this
scheme. Obioha’s apprehension and conviction is a reminder that foreign
nationals targeting American businesses cannot operate with impunity and
that the reach of U.S. law enforcement agencies is global.”
“The FBI plays the long game,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Vadim D. Thomas. “Today's
plea is proof that no matter how distant justice may seem, no matter
where criminal enterprises may operate, the FBI and our law enforcement
partners are committed to securing justice for our businesses and
communities.”
Obioha faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine,
as well as the possibility of being ordered to pay restitution, when he
is sentenced on July 26, 2017 by United States District Judge David N.
Hurd. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the
particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S.
Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Wayne A.
Myers.
No comments:
Post a Comment