A Nigerian and three Americans have been sentenced to prison for their roles in an advance fee and money laundering scheme targeting people on Guam, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Shawn Anderson.
Members of the conspiracy obtained about $2.6 million by convincing people to pay bogus fees and other expenses associated with a multimillion-dollar inheritance before they could collect money that was promised to them.
Money was collected from people on Guam and sent to bank accounts in the U.S. and Nigeria, according to Anderson.
“This far-ranging conspiracy preyed on 60 victims, nearly all of whom live in Guam,” Anderson said in the release. “These scams are difficult to investigate and prosecute due to the interstate and transnational nature of the criminal activity.”
He said prosecutors will continue to try to collect restitution for victims.
Judge John C. Coughenour sentenced the defendants in the District Court of Guam.
- Okechukwu F. Iwuji, 38, a Nigerian citizen who previously lived in Orlando, Florida, was sentenced to 45 months imprisonment, three years supervised release, ordered to pay $475,710 in restitution, a $100 mandatory assessment fee, and a $475,710 forfeiture money judgment. He was sentenced on Thursday after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of the conspiracy, Iwuji obtained at least $475,710 of victim funds from Roberto and other co-conspirators and transferred some funds to third party-Nigerian bank accounts.
- Sally Cruz Roberto, 56, of Sånta Rita-Sumai, was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment, three years supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,030,990 in restitution, a $3,900 mandatory assessment fee and a $1,030,990 forfeiture money judgment. She was sentenced on Tuesday after a jury found her guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 38 counts of wire fraud. As part of the conspiracy, Roberto obtained $1,030,990 of victim funds and used her bank account to wire those funds to stateside bank accounts of other co-conspirators.
- Monique Jones, 49, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment, three years supervised release, ordered to pay $578,130 in restitution, a $2,700 mandatory assessment fee, and a $1,111,280 forfeiture money judgment. She was sentenced Tuesday after a jury found her guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 25 counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
- Mekayda D. Jones, 24, from Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment, three years supervised release, ordered to pay $387,160 in restitution, a $1,600.00 mandatory assessment fee, and a $801,210 forfeiture money judgment. She was sentenced Tuesday after a jury found her guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. As part of the conspiracies, Monique and Mekayda Jones perpetuated the fraud by maintaining bank accounts in the names of shell corporations to receive, withdraw, and transfer victim funds to other co-conspirators in the United States and Nigeria. In exchange, they kept at least 10 percent of victim funds that flowed into bank accounts they controlled.
“This sentence should make the public aware that these types of advanced fee, associated with inheritance scams, will be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “If it is too good to be true, it probably is.”
Merrill said anyone who thinks they might have been scammed should call the FBI at 800-225-5324 (CALL-FBI) or report it to tips.fbi.gov.
@Pacific Daily News, https://www.guampdn.com/news/four-sentenced-to-prison-in-2-6m-advance-fee-fraud/article_27ffde0a-3ce6-11ee-9ffb-230ce68dcde7.html