A 45-year-old Nigerian, Okeoghene Patrick Udugba, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the United States over his alleged role in romance and business email compromise schemes that defrauded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of more than $300,000.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Wednesday that Udugba, of Frisco, Texas, faces charges of money laundering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud.

According to U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Udugba and others orchestrated overlapping schemes in which they used social media and dating websites to meet and establish purported romantic relationships with persons in multiple states.

Prosecutors said those persons were groomed and later used as “money mules” to receive and cash fraudulently obtained checks.

To obtain the checks, members of the conspiracy sent emails from “spoofed” addresses in Nigeria, claiming to be representatives of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

The emails directed that FWS grant funds be used to pay fabricated invoices, which falsely represented that the money mules were contractors and consultants who had performed work on grant-eligible projects.

As a result of the fraudulent emails and invoices, FWS’s grant administrator issued payments in excess of $300,000, the indictment alleges.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of Interior Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

The prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, a whole-of-government partnership aimed at targeting transnational criminal organizations operating in the United States and abroad.

It is also linked to the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, created on April 7, which focuses on investigating and prosecuting fraud against the American people as part of President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the offenses is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release, and a fine.

A sentence would be imposed by a judge after consideration of federal sentencing statutes and guidelines.

Indictments and criminal informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. (The Sun)

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