Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, are facing up to 20 years in a United States prison each after being convicted of orchestrating a $560,000 romance scam.
A statement issued by U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez and FBI Special Agent Raul Bujanda revealed that the duo was convicted following a four-day trial and less than three hours of jury deliberation.
The fraudulent scheme, which began in January 2016, involved creating a fake identity, “Glenn Brown,” on the dating website eHarmony.com.
Using this persona, they built a romantic relationship with a victim in Albuquerque, New Mexico, convincing them to send financial assistance for a fictitious construction project in Malaysia.
Prosecutors disclosed that the victim transferred approximately $560,000 to accounts in the U.S., Canada, and Malaysia between January 2016 and April 2017, believing their help was crucial for “Glenn Brown” to return to the U.S. Key transactions included a $28,000 wire transfer to a Woodforest Bank account linked to Daramola, who then forwarded $18,000 to a seafood importer in Denmark and issued a $14,000 check.
Meanwhile, Ogunlaja’s Bank of America account received $20,000 in cash deposits from the victim, which he withdrew and transferred to Daramola.
Despite Daramola’s denial of involvement, text and WhatsApp messages recovered from his phone exposed his role in providing bank accounts for the scheme.
Ogunlaja also played a significant role by facilitating cash transactions through his bank account as directed by the fictitious “Glenn Brown.”
This conviction follows a similar case in November 2024, where two other Nigerians, Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, were sentenced to a combined 30 years in prison for defrauding U.S. citizens of $3.5 million.
Authorities revealed that they had deceived victims by claiming they needed fees to access large inheritances.
Both Ogunlaja and Daramola now face sentencing, with each facing up to 20 years in prison for their roles in the romance scam.
U.S. authorities continue to warn against online romance frauds that exploit vulnerable individuals for financial gain.
