Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, have been convicted of internet fraud in a U.S. court after a four-day trial.
The verdict was delivered by a federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, Albuquerque, on Monday.
The pair were found guilty of defrauding a woman out of $560,000 as part of a romance scam, in collaboration with other individuals. The fraud operation also reportedly involved Nigerian celebrity auto dealer Adesuwa Ogiozee, who has denied any involvement in the scam. Ogiozee claimed that U.S. authorities targeted her due to her Nigerian heritage.
According to the Justice Department, on September 27, 2016, the victim was instructed to wire approximately $28,000 to an account linked to Daramola, who used the alias “Glenn Brown.” Daramola then transferred $18,000 to a seafood importer in Denmark and issued a check for $14,000. Although Daramola denied his role in the romance scam, an investigation by the FBI uncovered text and WhatsApp messages on his phone, which showed his involvement in facilitating fraudulent activities.
Ogunlaja’s role in the fraud included using his Bank of America account to receive funds. On March 9 and March 15, 2016, the victim deposited $20,000 into Ogunlaja’s account, under the direction of the “Glenn Brown” persona. Ogunlaja then withdrew the funds and transferred them to Daramola’s account.
The two men remain on bail pending their sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. They face up to 20 years in prison, although the exact sentence will be determined during a pre-sentencing hearing.
