2 Nigerians jailed for laundering over $4.5m from fraud schemes targeting over 125 victims
SKAiF NewsNG SNN
Two Nigerian-born men, Olumide Olorunfunmi and Emmanuel Unuigbe were sentenced to 30 months in prison today for laundering millions of dollars obtained from scams targeting hundreds of victims across the United States, officials announced.
Both men will also serve three years of supervised release and were ordered to pay over $4.6 million in restitution.
The announcement was made by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.
According to court documents, from 2020 through 2023, Olorunfunmi and Unuigbe conspired with others to launder the proceeds of “various illegal activities, including romance scams that typically targeted elderly victims and business email compromise schemes.”
Victims were instructed to transfer funds into domestic and international bank accounts controlled by the duo and their co-conspirators.
Upon receiving the illicit funds, Olorunfunmi, Unuigbe, and their associates moved the money to other bank accounts in the U.S. and abroad. Court records indicate that the scheme involved more than 125 victims, resulting in the transfer of over $4.5 million in criminal proceeds.
Prosecutors also revealed that the two men profited by transferring Nigerian Naira from accounts in Nigeria to cover domestic deposits, using a “black market” exchange rate for U.S. dollars to Naira.
Olorunfunmi and Unuigbe had previously pleaded guilty to the charges. Another individual involved, Samson Amos, was sentenced today for conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Amos received five years of probation, including a six-month home confinement, and was also ordered to pay restitution.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson acknowledged the FBI’s efforts in investigating the case, saying, “We are grateful for the diligent work of the FBI in uncovering and bringing these schemes to justice.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
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