The United States Department of Justice has charged three Nigerians, William Elvis, Moses Hezekiah, and Destiny Oghentega in a United States federal court in Rhode Island for their alleged involvement in an online romance and wire fraud scheme.
US Department of Justice’s in a statement on its website on Thursday said that the suspects were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The DoJ statement noted that court documents indicated that the alleged fraud scheme began around early 2021 and involved multiple conspirators targeting victims through online impersonation.
It noted that the suspects and their accomplices posed as professionals working overseas and developed relationships with victims over time.
According to the statement, “Victims, including an elderly Rhode Island resident, were contacted by individuals who falsely portrayed themselves as professionals working overseas and, over time, developed relationships with them.
“The conspirators then made repeated requests for money under pretences, including claims of financial hardship, legal issues, or medical emergencies.
“Victims were directed to send funds through gift cards, Bitcoin transactions, and other means, including transfers to accounts controlled by participants in the scheme.”
The statement added that investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that the identities used in the scheme were stolen and used without the knowledge of the real individuals.
It added that the FBI also traced the communications and financial transactions connected to the fraud to the defendants in Nigeria.
Prosecutors noted that the victims lost substantial amounts of money over the course of the scheme.
“Victims sent substantial sums of money over the course of the scheme. The investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that the identities used were misappropriated and used without the individuals’ knowledge, and that communications and financial activity were traced to the defendants in Nigeria,” it added.
But the statement stressed that the charges remain allegations, noting that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
