A Nigerian man named Kelvin Otunyo has been sentenced to 90 months in prison on federal charges of money laundering and identity theft. Mr Otunyo had been linked to about six schemes to deposit and launder stolen funds in the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the sentencing on Friday via its website.

“Kelvin Otunyo, 37, of Hyattsville, Md., was sentenced today to 90 months in prison on federal charges stemming from his role in at least six schemes to deposit and launder stolen and unauthorized checks valued at more than $350,000,” the statement said.

Mr Otunyo had pleaded guilty in April to two counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Mr Otunyo will be placed on four years of supervised release, following his prison term, and his sentence, passed by Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, includes an order to pay restitution of $124,157, and a forfeiture of $303,207.

The court documents outline how six schemes of nine stolen or unauthorized checks from eight victims were carried out. These scams totalled a sum of $355,745.29.

Between August 2017 and 2018, Mr Otunyo and his posse obtained stolen or unauthorized checks from victims, set up shell companies and bank accounts, and deposited or attempted to clear the checks before laundering the resulting proceeds. The scams were carried out using fake identification and names.

Mr Otunyo was originally indicted on August 16, 2018 for two counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He was arrested on August 29, 2018, and arraigned the same day.

He initially agreed to a debriefing session with the government to explore the possibility of cooperating in hopes that he would receive a visa to remain in the United States, in exchange for his cooperation.

He provided the government with his iPhone password, which he later alleged the government used to discover evidence that led to two additional charges.

Mr Otunyo then further alleged that his participation at the debriefing session “was not done in a knowing and intelligent manner and therefore, any evidence obtained from this session should not be used against him.”

Three of Mr Otunyo’s co-conspirators have been charged following the investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General.

In June 2019, Chief Judge Howell sentenced Michael Orji to 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and $905,274 in restitution payments.

Another Nigerian in Mr Otunyo’s gang, Samson Olawale Afolabi, pleaded guilty to the charges leveled against him and is awaiting sentencing on Oct. 1, 2021.

https://gazettengr.com/u-s-court-jails-nigerian-kelvin-otunyo-for-money-laundering-identity-theft/

Abike Dabiri come and say something

Working Hard.

Hardly Working.

People from that part of the country will not stop to amaze me.
They started the same cocaine business they accuse oothers of doing and they are also criminals when it comes to money laundering like we see here and that of huspupi case.
They are 2 in 1.

Achuwa1:
People from that part of the country will not stop to amaze me.
They started the same cocaine business they accuse oothers of doing and they are also criminals when it comes to money laundering like we see here and that of huspupi case.
They are 2 in 1.

For your info, Kevin Otunyo is not Yoruba. He is one of your Niger Delta brother.

Achuwa1:
People from that part of the country will not stop to amaze me.
They started the same cocaine business they accuse oothers of doing and they are also criminals when it comes to money laundering like we see here and that of huspupi case.
They are 2 in 1.

why can't we just allow this tribal thing slide..and deal with the message.

There is no week without bad news about Nigerians in diaspora. Why?
Sad thing is, even the law abiding citizens of Nigeria will be subjected to some form of harsh treatment

Achuwa1:
People from that part of the country will not stop to amaze me.
They started the same cocaine business they accuse oothers of doing and they are also criminals when it comes to money laundering like we see here and that of huspupi case.
They are 2 in 1.

When hushpupi was caught some clowns on this forum will say Nigerian. But when they catch ejiofor at Indonesia they will say igbo. Igbos are criminals, igbos are this and that. like crime has anything to do with tribe. Crime is just a system. A system that encourages crime breeds criminals. Change the system.

teamoneline:


When hushpupi was caught some clowns on this forum will say Nigerian. But when they catch ejiofor at Indonesia they will say igbo. Igbos are criminals, igbos are this and that. like crime has anything to do with tribe. Crime is just a system. A system that encourages crime breeds criminals. Change the system.

Well when 99% of drug traffickers caught have name like Shukudi, then we are good to call them Biafla people.

If they ask you which Nigerian tribe is more criminal, I am 100% sure the first answer that will come to your brain is the black jews.

Philipponzaghi:


Well when 99% of drug traffickers caught have name like Shukudi, then we are good to call them Biafla people.

If they ask you which Nigerian tribe is more criminal, I am 100% sure the first answer that will come to your brain is the black jews.

how about channeling this your bigotry to the tribe killing innocent farmers on their farm or the ones doing Boko Haram? You never see them say hausa and terrorism but eating igboflakes daily dey give calcium. God pass una. Una go wake up one day.

teamoneline:


how about channeling this your bigotry to the tribe killing innocent farmers on their farm or the ones doing Boko Haram? You never see them say hausa and terrorism but eating igboflakes daily dey give calcium. God pass una. Una go wake up one day.

Fulani herdsmen are terrorists!
Boko Haram are hardcore terrorists!
ESN are low budget terrorists!

We should condemn them all for fairness sake.

As fake as a Barcelona Nike jersey