A 45-year-old Nigerian resident in the United States, Okeoghene Patrick Udugba, is facing up to 30 years’ imprisonment after a federal grand jury indicted him over his alleged role in a romance scam and business email compromise scheme that reportedly defrauded a United States government agency of more than $300,000.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Wednesday that Udugba, who resides in Frisco, Texas, was indicted on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud.
According to the United States Attorney, Brian Miller, Udugba and his alleged accomplices orchestrated overlapping romance and business email compromise schemes by using social media platforms and dating websites to lure victims into fake romantic relationships.
The statement read, “Udugba and others utilised social media and dating websites to meet and establish purported romantic relationships with persons in multiple states.
“Those persons were groomed and ultimately used by Udugba and others as money mules to receive and cash fraudulently obtained checks.”
