Samson Omoniyi, a Nigerian living in the United States of America who was detained along with eight others for alleged money laundering and fraud, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted by US authorities.
The US Department of Justice’s Office of Public Affairs issued a press statement late Wednesday stating this.
According to the statement, Omoniyi and his accomplices were indicted on Tuesday on allegations of conspiracy to engage in money laundering following their detention in three jurisdictions across the United States.
It further indicated that the Omoniyi, who remained innocent until proven guilty by the court, established a money laundering enterprise to launder profits of crime totalling millions of US dollars, which were allegedly earned by scamming many citizens.
The statement read, “An indictment was unsealed yesterday (Tuesday) in Nashville, Tennessee. It charges nine members of a multi-state money laundering organisation with laundering millions of dollars derived from internet fraud, including business email compromise schemes. The nine defendants were arrested in a coordinated takedown across three jurisdictions.
“According to court documents, Samson A. Omoniyi, 43, of Houston; Misha L. Cooper, 50, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Robert A. Cooper, 66 of Murfreesboro; Carlesha L. Perry, 36, of Houston; Whitney D. Bardley, 30 of Florissant, Missouri; Lauren O. Guidry, 32 of Houston; Caira Y. Osby, 44 of Houston; Dazai S. Harris, 34 of Murfreesboro; and Edward D. Peebles, 35, of Murfreesboro, were charged with conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants were members of a long-running money laundering organisation operating since approximately November 2016 in and around Tennessee, Texas, and across the country.”
The statement also mentioned that the defendants used the structured organisation as a guise to launder the proceeds of their fraud and enrich members of the syndicate.
“The conspirators allegedly structured the organisation so that recruiters or ‘herders’ recruited and directed participants or’money mules’ to launder money obtained from Internet frauds that targeted businesses and individuals in the United States and abroad.
“The defendants allegedly used sham and front companies to conceal the fraud proceeds and enrich the conspiracy members. The conspiracy allegedly agreed to launder more than $20 million in fraud proceeds,” it stated.
According to the statement, each of the defendants could be sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the provision of the US Sentencing Guidelines as a maximum penalty for their crime.
“The defendants each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” the statement concluded.”
“The defendants each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” the statement concluded.”
Chronicle NG reported on Tuesday that two Nigerians, Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, were sentenced by a US federal jury to 30 years combined jail term for defrauding some US citizens of $3,500,000.
According to the US Justice Department, the dou fooled their victims by informing them that they had inherited large inheritances that required payment to claim.
The duo was believed to have asked their victims to transfer money with the promise that they would be refunded once the inheritance was claimed.
It was also discovered that the duo perpetrated romance scams by building love ties with their victims and then demanding money after they had gained their trust.
