This is big and fresh, folks

Link here https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/laurel-man-sentenced-over-19-years-federal-prison-defrauding-victims-millions-dollars-0

U.S. Attorneys » District of Maryland » News


Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of Maryland



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Laurel Man Sentenced to Over 19 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Victims of Millions of Dollars Through Internet Dating Scam

Three Other Members of the Conspiracy Also Sentenced for Their Roles in the Scheme







Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Gbenga Ogundele a/k/a “Benson Ogundele,” age 58; of Laurel, Maryland, today to 234 months in prison, and sentenced his wife, Moji Popoola, a/k/a “Mojisola Oluwakemi Tin Popoola” and “Moji T. Popoola,” age 42, also of Laurel, to 18 months in prison, each followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracies to commit wire fraud and money laundering arising from a scheme to defraud vulnerable victims of millions of dollars. Ogundele was also convicted of aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme. Judge Grimm ordered that Mojisola Popoola’s supervised release is to be served in home detention. Judge Grimm also ordered Ogundele to forfeit $2,195,103.36, and ordered Mojisola Popoola to forfeit approximately $165,000 and to pay restitution of $34,100.



On March 20, 2017, Judge Grimm sentenced Moji Popoola’s brother, Babatunde Emmanuel Popoola, a/k/a “Emmanuel Popoola” and “Tunde Popoola, age 34, of Bowie, Maryland, to 12 years in prison, on the same charges. Judge Grimm ordered Babatunde Popoola to pay restitution of $465,170.76. Ogundele and the Popoolas were convicted on November 18, 2016, after a 17-day trial.



In a related case, Funmilayo Joyce Shodeke, age 67, of Burtonsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 22, 2017 to conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business, and was sentenced to 13 months’ probation, and ordered to forfeit $29,900.



The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.



According to the evidence presented at trial, and co-conspirators’ plea agreements, from January 2011 to May 18, 2015, members of the conspiracy searched online dating websites to initiate romantic relationships with vulnerable male and female individuals. They phoned, emailed, texted and used internet chat messenger services to form romantic relationships with the victims, who lived in Maryland and around the country.



Members of the conspiracy used false stories and promises to convince the victims to provide money to the conspirators, including fake hospital bills, plane trips to visit the victims, problems with overseas businesses and foreign taxes. Ogundele, the Popoolas, co-conspirators Olusegun Charles Ogunseye, Olufemi Wilfred Williams, Adeyinka Olubunmi Awolaja and others opened bank accounts, called “drop accounts,” in order to receive millions of dollars from the victims. The victims provided money to the defendants as a result of the false stories and promises, either depositing money directly into drop accounts controlled by the defendants, or by checks sent to the conspirators. The payments from victims ranged from $1,720 to $50,000. Ogundele, Babatunde Popoola, and others used victims’ names, bank account numbers or driver’s licenses in furtherance of the fraud scheme.



Ogundele, the Popoolas, Ogunseye, Williams, Awolaja and their co-conspirators dispersed money received from the victims by transferring funds to other accounts controlled by the conspirators, by obtaining cashier’s checks, and by writing checks to individuals or entities, in order to conceal the nature, source, and control of those assets.



Co-conspirator Victor Oyewumi Oloyede, age 42, of Laurel, Maryland, was also convicted at trial for his role in the fraud scheme. Oloyede was sentenced to 234 months in prison.



Co-conspirators Olusegun Charles Ogunseye, age 59 of Laurel, Maryland, Olufemi Wilfred Williams, age 28, of Owings Mills, Maryland, and Adeyinka Olubunmi Awolaja, Jr., age 34, of New Carollton, Maryland, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Judge Grimm scheduled sentencing for Awolaja on June 12, 2017, for Ogunseye on July 25, 2017, and for Williams on July 27, 2017, all at 2:30 p.m.



The Maryland Identity Theft Working Group has been working since 2006 to foster cooperation among local, state, federal, and institutional fraud investigators and to promote effective prosecution of identity theft schemes by both state and federal prosecutors. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Working Group, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to work with financial institutions and businesses to address identity fraud, identify those who compromise personal identity information, and protect citizens from identity theft.



Today’s announcement is part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.



United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Windom, who is prosecuting the case.



USAO - Maryland


Topic:


Financial Fraud

Identity Theft

Updated March 22, 2017

I dey laff oh! Oya!! NCAN, over to ya'll

People like these make those of us who work hard in America look like we are here to count bridges.

NCAN, sambisa forest chapter is interested in inspecting this names.

Poopoola?

Oh yes, na dem, same people known for giving Nigeria bad name.

This is not good for the image of our country, and it affects us all irrespective of tribe or creed. More should be done by the Government to foster employment and defeat unemployment and underemployment.

Wow! This is deep. All from what part of Nigeria? So greedy they could not share with other Nigerians. I thought we have federal character in Nigeria

@IgbobuIgbo
Namesake, I greet o. Kedu ka ife si aga?

There is nothing criminal in the nature of these transactions, they are all an exchange of individual needs. I bet if you inspect the ad they put in the dating website their targets were elderly and rich white men and women and they lured them with promotion of young and healthy African boys and girls.

Some of the male targets will be gay white men, some will be heterosexual, the women are cougars who need young blood to make them feel whole and sexy and fulfilled. In exchange for the promised goodies of fvcking young African pussy the men foolishly parted with money. So did the women. White Americans, whether male or female are obsessed with having sex with Africans but they keep it under and in secrecy. This dating website gives them a window to live their desire in the dark and so they believe in the ads and fell victim.

Those who dont go to website actually spend money buying airplane ticket and book hotel in Africa to come and fvk young underage black girls and no one arrests them for defiling underage girls or in case of gays, underage boys.
So if they can travel to our continent and defile our children and is accepted as exchange of interests, why is it crime when Africans there take their money in exchange for a promise to deliver satisfaction? Think about it. It is racial but they sneaked it in as violation of law.

A white American man came to Africa and killed two protected lions and it was broadcasted around the globe, yet there was no protest from animal rights advocacy group and he is not in prison. Michael Vick, a black NFL player was demonized by animal advocacy group for involvement in dog fights, and served prison term. A very promising athlete, his career went down hill from there.

There is no crime here, its just another expose of the weakness in white people, they dont have the capacity to match our street smartness and to curtail our supremacy and control of assets in a parallel market they throw the books of law at us and keep us under. Simple!

Its same thing with 419. If i say i have 40billion naira and willing to give you 15% to help me smuggle it out and you agree to give me your bank account, which i depleted....why am i a thief? What should we call you that conspired with me to smuggle money?

Lets drop this one, no need for NCAN name inspection.

OPCNAIRALAND:
There is nothing criminal in the nature of these transactions, they are all an exchange of individual needs. I bet if you inspect the ad they put in the dating website their targets were elderly and rich white men and women and they lured them with promotion of young and healthy African boys and girls.

Some of the male targets will be gay white men, some will be heterosexual, the women are cougars who need young blood to make them feel whole and sexy and fulfilled. In exchange for the promised goodies of fvcking young African pussy the men foolishly parted with money. So did the women. White Americans, whether male or female are obsessed with having sex with Africans but they keep it under and in secrecy. This dating website gives them a window to live their desire in the dark and so they believe in the ads and fell victim.

Those who dont go to website actually spend money buying airplane ticket and book hotel in Africa to come and fvk young underage black girls and no one arrests them for defiling underage girls or in case of gays, underage boys.
So if they can travel to our continent and defile our children and is accepted as exchange of interests, why is it crime when Africans there take their money in exchange for a promise to deliver satisfaction? Think about it. It is racial but they sneaked it in as violation of law.

A white American man came to Africa and killed two protected lions and it was broadcasted around the globe, yet there was no protest from animal rights advocacy group and he is not in prison. Michael Vick, a black NFL player was demonized by animal advocacy group for involvement in dog fights.

There is no crime here, its just another expose of the weakness in white people, they dont have the capacity to match our street smartness and to curtail our supremacy and control of assets in a parallel market they throw the books of law at us and keep us under. Simple!

Its same thing with 419. If i say i have 40billion naira and willing to give you 15% to help me smuggle it out and you agree to give me your bank account, which i depleted....why am i a thief? What should we call you that conspired with me to smuggle money?

Lets drop this one, no need for NCAN name inspection.

I hope you argue same when the names are Okoro or Obi. Yeye dey smell

igbodefender:
@IgbobuIgbo
Namesake, I greet o. Kedu ka ife si aga?

Nwanna ano'm nke oma. This ndi-ofe people are killing our country slowly

NCAN Enugu Branch Reporting

Environer:


I hope you argue same when the names are Okoro or Obi. Yeye dey smell

Don't mind that confused man

the cones! the more they commit crime,the conier their heads become

NCAN reporting live from Enugu. But op you wicked o. Today,there was so many records broken by Igbo in science and tech,this is the day you decided to show us Afonja records. Lwkmd!

Environer:


I hope you argue same when the names are Okoro or Obi. Yeye dey smell

Depends on what Okoro and Obi are charged for.

OPCNAIRALAND:


Depends on what Okoro and Obi are charged for.

Charged for over brilliance and inventing the optramotor

OPCNAIRALAND:
There is nothing criminal in the nature of these transactions, they are all an exchange of individual needs. I bet if you inspect the ad they put in the dating website their targets were elderly and rich white men and women and they lured them with promotion of young and healthy African boys and girls.

Some of the male targets will be gay white men, some will be heterosexual, the women are cougars who need young blood to make them feel whole and sexy and fulfilled. In exchange for the promised goodies of fvcking young African pussy the men foolishly parted with money. So did the women. White Americans, whether male or female are obsessed with having sex with Africans but they keep it under and in secrecy. This dating website gives them a window to live their desire in the dark and so they believe in the ads and fell victim.

Those who dont go to website actually spend money buying airplane ticket and book hotel in Africa to come and fvk young underage black girls and no one arrests them for defiling underage girls or in case of gays, underage boys.
So if they can travel to our continent and defile our children and is accepted as exchange of interests, why is it crime when Africans there take their money in exchange for a promise to deliver satisfaction? Think about it. It is racial but they sneaked it in as violation of law.

A white American man came to Africa and killed two protected lions and it was broadcasted around the globe, yet there was no protest from animal rights advocacy group and he is not in prison. Michael Vick, a black NFL player was demonized by animal advocacy group for involvement in dog fights, and served prison term. A very promising athlete, his career went down hill from there.

There is no crime here, its just another expose of the weakness in white people, they dont have the capacity to match our street smartness and to curtail our supremacy and control of assets in a parallel market they throw the books of law at us and keep us under. Simple!

Its same thing with 419. If i say i have 40billion naira and willing to give you 15% to help me smuggle it out and you agree to give me your bank account, which i depleted....why am i a thief? What should we call you that conspired with me to smuggle money?

Lets drop this one, no need for NCAN name inspection.

All these epistle just because Segun, bunmi, yinka and the rest of the Afonja names i couldn't pronounce committed evil?

Afonjas stop tarnishing our image.

This article should be on front page naa

Lalasticlala,no be so?

ThatIgboBoy:
This article should be on front page naa

Lalasticlala,no be so?

No mind them. Hypocrisy everywhere in Nairaland

OPCNAIRALAND:


Depends on what Okoro and Obi are charged for.

What is this man charged for?

OPCNAIRALAND:


Depends on what Okoro and Obi are charged for.

What are these multiple afonja men/women charged for?

Bump

Guy this thread is so funny.

E be like Afonja cornered all that dating scam and fraud crime in US.

A whole kindred will be in jail