a
Nigerian Internet Fraudster Faces 127 Years In Prison
Over Love Scam
During a Federal indictment, Sunmola pleaded
guilty to, and admitted that he was the ringleader
of a group that successfully wooed hundreds of
women online, then convinced them to send cash
to bail him out of phony emergencies.
Prosecutors said Sunmola seduced women online
by creating fake online profiles using photos and
names of real American men, including claiming
to be a former U.S. soldier.
When he had gotten the attention of the women,
Sunmola would send them flowers, candies,
stuffed animals, conning them into believing that
each was his true love. Once the women were
convinced of his love for them, he would request
money from them, claiming phony emergencies.
Some of the women sent thousands of dollars.
The victims who were not named, lived around
the country, including in Mascoutah and Bond
County in Illinois and St. Charles and St. Louis
counties in Missouri.
In one case, Sunmola tricked one woman into
cashing counterfeit or stolen traveler’s checks.
She contemplated suicide when arrested. He
lured another into performing sexual acts, which
he recorded via webcam. He then threatened to
ruin her life by publishing the recordings online if
she didn't send him cash, warning that by the
time he was done with her, she would want to kill
herself.
A Bond County woman bought electronics and
shipped them to Sunmola, reshipped items he’d
bought using stolen credit card information and
took out cash advances on a credit card, forcing
herself into bankruptcy with debts of at least
$98,000, the indictment claims.
The investigation included the U.S. Postal
Inspection Service, the Federal Trade
Commission, Homeland Security Investigations,
the U.S. Secret Service and the Illinois Attorney
General’s Office, as well as South African officials,
who investigated Sunmola's activities there and
started forfeiture proceedings for his assets
there.
Sunmola was indicted in U.S. District Court in East
St. Louis in 2013 on mail fraud, wire fraud,
conspiracy, and interstate extortion charges. He
was arrested in August 2014 by Scotland Yard, as
he was about to board a flight from London to
South Africa, then extradited here to face the
charges.
"Basically, the evidence established that Sunmola,
a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was a
ringleader of a criminal organization operating
withing South Africa, that targeted and stole from
hundreds of women across the United States.
Our office will continue to pursue justice for these
victims in Sunmola's prison sentence and in our
never-ending efforts to get restitution,"
Acting United States Attorney James Porter stated.
Sentencing has been set for June 17, 2016, and
Sunmola could get up to 127 years and a fine of
$250,000 for each counts he faces.


Source: www.olashegzy.com/2016/03/nigerian-internet-fraudster-faces-127.html?m=1

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