FBI extradites Nigerian to US over alleged internet romance fraud

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has secured the arrest and extradition of a Nigerian, Samuel Ugberaese, to the U.S. on charges relating to international cyber romance scams.

This is contained in a statement by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, citing the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Ugberaese and his co-conspirators used romance scheme techniques, including false stories and promises, to exploit and defraud victims into transferring money on their behalf.

“Ugberaese conspired with a co-defendant, Oluwadamilare Kolaogunbule, a naturalised U.S. citizen, to conduct financial transactions through his bank account network.

“These included accounts registered to purported export companies, to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the criminal proceeds,” the statement said.

It stated that U.S. Judge Brian Myers had already ordered the detention of the defendant, pending his trial for the alleged offences, which targeted victims in the U.S. and elsewhere.

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The statement further explained that U.S. Assistant Attorney Adam Hulbig was prosecuting the case, being handled by the EDNC USAO’s Fraud Section.

It also recalled that Ugberaese was earlier indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury over the alleged crime on January 22, 2021.

Ugberaese is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, if convicted.

It said the Nigerian Police Force, INTERPOL, the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Office, and  the South African Police Service provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Ugberaese.

Others are the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, FBI’s Law Enforcement attaché office in Abuja, as well as the Department of State.

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