₦airaland Forum

Rahul Sharma, an American criminal defence lawyer has been appointed as the lead counsel to Obinwanne Okeke, a Nigerian ‘businessman’ who was recently arrested for alleged $11 million fraud.


Mr Sharma, an attorney with the United States Federal Public Defender in Eastern District of Virginia, was asked to represent Mr Okeke by Theresa Buchanan, the magistrate handling the case.

Ms Buchanan made the order after Mr Okeke failed to appear with a lawyer when he was first arraigned on August 7 on two counts of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Mr Okeke, known in Nigeria as ‘Invictus Obi’, was arrested on August 6 in Alexandria, Virginia, on the same day he was slated to return to Nigeria. The arrest was based on a court warrant executed by Marshall Ward, an F.B.I. special agent who led the investigation of Mr Okeke.

He had travelled to the U.S. apparently without a prior knowledge that he was being investigated by the F.B.I. and settled in Alexandria, Virginia, about 13 kilometres south of Washington D.C.

The F.B.I. had in June 2018 received complaints from Unatrac, an international subsidiary of heavy equipment manufacturer, Caterpillar, that Mr Okeke gained unauthorised access to the e-mail account of its chief financial officer and authorised a series of fictitious invoices to the tune of $11 million.

The F.B.I. also found that Mr Okeke had duped an American show manufacturer and used several e-mail accounts which have previously been linked to fraudulent activities online and flagged in the F.B.I. database.
An 11-page affidavit detailing how Mr Okeke was identified as the culprit and why he should be immediately arrested and charged was published on U.S. government websites earlier this month


His arrest has sparked online frenzy and added to a growing cases of Nigerians being arrested for illegal online activities in Western countries. The anti-graft EFCC has also intensified a clampdown on advance fee fraudsters in Nigeria, chargings dozens of suspects this year alone.

Mr Okeke was remanded in custody pending conclusion of preliminary hearings into his case. Mr Sharma is expected to begin appearances for him at his next hearing.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/347287-court-appointed-attorney-to-defend-obinwanne-obi-in-11-million-fraud-trial.html

He's looking 125 years...

He had travelled to the U.S. apparently without a prior knowledge that he was being investigated by the F.B.I. and settled in Alexandria, Virginia, about 13 kilometres south of Washington D.C.

Make we know use our legs waka go where dey go kill/jail us.

What if he returns home in a week time?

NwaNimo1:
He's looking 125 years...

NwaNimo1:
He's looking 125 years...

That's not a death sentence. Funny enough

madridguy:
He had travelled to the U.S. apparently without a prior knowledge that he was being investigated by the F.B.I. and settled in Alexandria, Virginia, about 13 kilometres south of Washington D.C.

Make we know use our legs waka go where dey go kill/jail us.

He doesn't qualify for that kind of prayer. He made his bed, let him lie on it.

Nigerians sef, nah our mouth we dey use take kill ourselves
The difference between Nigeria and America is that over there, the law works and law enforcement is seriously serious.

Americans are all over the world committing all kinds of fraud and embezzlement, even in Nigeria here...

So I hear a lot of slowpokes now saying "this is Nigeria, everybody na criminal" no that's not the case...be quiet if you have nothing of value to say.

What will say about someone like Sowore who has been fighting injustice most of his adult life in this same country and today is in jail for demanding a better life for Nigerians. Is he a criminal too? Is Nnamdi KANU a criminal too?

Damn you bloody rats!!

They will give him fair fearing.. It is Usa not Nigeria

helinues:
They will give him fair justice.. It is Usa not Nigeria

Fair hearing