A 45-year-old Nigerian man, Okeoghene Patrick Udugba, has been indicted by a United States federal grand jury over his alleged involvement in a romance scam and business email compromise scheme that reportedly defrauded a US government agency of more than $300,000.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Udugba, who resides in Frisco, Texas, is facing charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud.
Prosecutors alleged that Udugba and his co-conspirators operated romance scams by using social media platforms and dating websites to build fake relationships with victims before convincing them to act as money mules.
The victims were allegedly persuaded to receive and cash fraudulently obtained cheques on behalf of the syndicate.
Authorities further claimed that members of the group sent spoofed emails from Nigeria while pretending to represent the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
The emails allegedly instructed that government grant funds be used to pay fake invoices, falsely presenting the recruited money mules as contractors and consultants who had completed eligible projects.
As a result, prosecutors said the agency’s grant administrator approved payments totaling more than $300,000.
The investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General.
If convicted, Udugba could face up to 30 years in federal prison, followed by supervised release and a fine.
However, US authorities stressed that the indictment is only an allegation.
“An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court,” the US Attorney’s Office stated.
