3 extradited to Mississippi to face Federal fraud charges | Forum

The US Department of Justice has successfully extradited six Nigerians from South Africa to face charges of running a series of scams against gullible Americans over the past 14 years.

The six men, along with 14 other defendants resident in the US, face trial in Gulfport, Mississippi on nine federal charges, including conspiracy to commit identity theft, wire fraud, bank fraud, theft of US government funds, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The indictment [PDF] states that since 2001 the accused, one of whom is 75 years old, were part of a string of scams against Americans, facilitated by internet communications. These include the longstanding 419 scheme, whereby a massive windfall is promised once a small number of payments have been provided, but the DoJ claims it went much further than that.

The team is also accused of running romance stings to bilk the lonely of funds, shipping fraud, running fake work-from-home businesses, check fraud, and plain-old hijacking of other people's bank accounts and credit cards to divert funds.

Almost none of the amounts of money scammed were more than four-figure sums, according to the indictment, but those add up over the years. It's estimated that billions of dollars have been shipped overseas to the African subcontinent by various organized criminal gangs over the past couple of decades.

The DoJ is still waiting for four more of the alleged team at the Nigerian end of the operation to finish the extradition process. Two more, Gabriel Oludare Adeniran and Oduntan Sikiru Lawani, remain on the run. ®

Six Nigerian nationals were extradited from South Africa to Gulfport, Mississippi, to face a nine-count federal indictment in the Southern District of Mississippi alleging various Internet fraud schemes.  A total of 20 defendants are charged in this case.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.

Oladimeji Seun Ayelotan, 30; Rasaq Aderoju Raheem, 31; Olusegun Seyi Shonekan, 33; Taofeeq Olamilekan Oyelade, 30; Olufemi Obaro Omoraka, 26; and Anuoluwapo Segun Adegbemigun, 39, are charged along with 15 others in an Oct. 7, 2014, indictment with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit identity theft, use of unauthorized account access devices, theft of U.S. government funds and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  The charges stem from the defendants alleged participation in numerous Internet-based complex financial fraud schemes, including romance scams, re-shipping scams, fraudulent check scams and work-at-home scams, as well as bank, financial and credit card account takeovers.

According to the allegations in the indictment, from as early as 2001, the defendants identified and solicited potential victims through online dating websites and work-at-home opportunities.  In some instances, the defendants allegedly carried on fictitious online romantic relationships with victims for the purpose of using the victims to further certain objectives of the conspiracy.  For example, the indictment alleges that the defendants convinced victims to ship and receive merchandise purchased with stolen personal identifying information (PII) and compromised credit card and banking information, to deposit counterfeit checks, and to transfer proceeds of the conspiracy via wire, U.S. mail or express delivery services. 

To date, defendants Teslim Olarewaju Kiriji, 30; Olutoyin Ogunlade, 41; and Dennis Brian Ladden, 75, have been convicted of offenses relating to their roles in the schemes.  Defendants Susan Anne Villeneuve, 49; and Genoveva Farfan, 45; Sesan Olumide Farin, 40; Femi Alexander Mewase, 44; Rhulane Fionah Hlungwane, 24; and Adekunle Adefila, 40, are awaiting trial.  The United States is seeking extradition from Nigeria of defendants Kayode Bamidele, Ajayi Oluwaseyi Stephen and Emmanuel Adeniyi Osokomaiya.  Defendants Gabriel Oludare Adeniran and Oduntan Sikiru Lawani remain fugitives.

The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations.  A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Significant assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the HSI Cyber Crimes Center, HSI Attachés in Pretoria and Dakar, U.S. Marshals Service’s International Investigations Branch and the Southern District of Mississippi, the South African Police Service (SAPS) Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (DPCI) Electronic Crimes Unit, the SAPS Interpol Extradition Unit, the South African National Prosecution Authority, and the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Robert Tully of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Annette Williams and Scott Gilbert of the Southern District of Mississippi.

GULFPORT, Miss. —A Nigerian citizen, one of 21 people indicted in an Internet fraud scheme, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.

U.S. Attorney Gregory Davis says in a news release that 30-year-old Teslim Olarewaju Kiriji of Lagos, Nigeria and Brownsburg, Indiana, was sentenced Thursday for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Davis says Kiriji pleaded guilty to being part of an Internet-based scheme to defraud others through work-at-home and secret-shopper scams. Davis says the scheme allegedly involved bogus checks, money orders and traveler's checks and the purchase of "high dollar" items with fraudulent credit card accounts.

The criminal case was filed after Homeland Security Investigations in Gulfport received a complaint from a Biloxi woman who reported she thought she'd been the victim of a scam.

Department of JusticeU.S. Attorney’s OfficeSouthern District of Mississippi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETuesday, July 26, 2016

Gulfport, Miss – A ninth Nigerian national has been extradited from South Africa to face charges on a nine-count federal indictment filed in the Southern District of Mississippi involving various internet fraud schemes, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis. Previously one South African was extradited from South Africa and an additional Nigerian from Canada.

Gabriel Oludare Adeniran, 30, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert H. Walker in Gulfport on Monday for arraignment on two counts of conspiracy to commit mail, wire and bank fraud, as well as identity theft, access device fraud and theft of government funds, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

This case is set for trial on January 17, 2017. Adeniran faces a maximum penalty of 55 years in prison on the charges.

The indictment in this case alleges a West African transnational organized crime enterprise involved in numerous complex financial fraud schemes over the internet. This mass marketing fraud includes romance scams, re-shipping scams, fraudulent check scams and work-at-home scams, along with bank, financial and credit card account take-overs. Potential victims can find information and a claim form on the website for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi at: https://www.justice.gov/usao/mss/scams.

The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating this fraud. The case in Mississippi will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams, along with Conor Mulroe of the Organized Crime Gang Section and Peter Roman of the Computer Crimes Intellectual Property Section.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, an indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Three Nigerian nationals, who in July 2015 were extradited from South Africa to the Southern District of Mississippi, were convicted today by a federal jury for their wide-ranging Internet fraud schemes.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.

Oladimeji Seun Ayelotan, 30, was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit identity theft, access device fraud, and theft of U.S. government funds, two counts of mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Ayelotan faces up to 95 years in prison. Rasaq Aderoju Raheem, 31 was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit identity theft, access device fraud, and theft of U.S. government funds, three counts of mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Raheem faces up to 115 years in prison. Femi Alexander Mewase, 45, was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit identity theft, access device fraud, and theft of U.S. government funds. Mewase faces up to 25 years in prison. Sentencing for all three is set for May 24 in the Southern District of Mississippi.

According to trial testimony and evidence presented in the three-week trial, the defendants participated in numerous complex Internet-based financial fraud schemes, including romance scams, re-shipping scams, fraudulent check scams, and work-at-home scams, as well as bank, financial, and credit card account takeovers. From as early as 2001, the defendants identified and solicited potential victims through online dating websites and work-at-home opportunities. In some instances, the defendants carried on fictitious online romantic relationships with victims for the purpose of using the victims to further objectives of the conspiracy. For example, the defendants convinced victims to ship and receive merchandise purchased with stolen personal identifying information (PII) and compromised credit card and banking information, to deposit counterfeit checks, to withdraw money from fraudulent pre-paid debit cards that were loaded with money from stolen credit cards and to transfer proceeds of the conspiracy via wire, U.S. mail, or express delivery services.

A total of 21 defendants were charged in this case. To date, defendants Adekunle Adefila, 41, of Nigeria; Anuoluwapo Segun Adegbemigun, 40, of Nigeria; Gabriel Oludare Adeniran, 30, of Nigeria; Genoveva Farfan, 45, of California; Rhulane Fionah Hlungwane, 26, of South Africa; Teslim Olarewaju Kiriji, 30, of Nigeria; Dennis Brian Ladden, 75, of Wisconsin; Olutoyin Ogunlade, 41, of New York; Taofeeq Olamilekan Oyelade, 32, of Nigeria; Olufemi Obaro Omoraka, 27, of Nigeria; and Olusegun Seyi Shonekan, 34, of Nigeria; have pleaded guilty to related conspiracy charges. Susan Anne Villeneuve, 49, of California, is awaiting trial.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Significant assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the HSI Cyber Crimes Center, HSI Attachés in Pretoria, South Africa and Dakar, Senegal, the U.S. Marshals Service’s International Investigations Branch and the Southern District of Mississippi District Office, the South African Police Service (SAPS) Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (DPCI) Electronic Crimes Unit, the SAPS Interpol Extradition Unit, the South African National Prosecution Authority and the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Trial Attorney Conor Mulroe of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Senior Counsel Peter Roman of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams of the Southern District of Mississippi tried the case.

If you believe that you may have been a victim of criminal fraud committed by any of the defendants, please go to https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/scamsand complete the questionnaire. Defendants allegedly used the following email addresses and names to perpetuate the scheme:

ADDIEP01@YAHOO.COM ANITA.LAUREN01@GMAIL.COM

ANITA.LAUREN1@GMAIL.COM EMPLOYMENTOFFERS007@YAHOO.COM

FAYEKIMBERLY@YMAIL.COM FAYEKIMBERLY19@YAHOO.COM

FEMI_OMORAKA@YAHOO.COM FMPLUST12@GMAIL.COM

FNCYJEN@YAHOO.COM FOLLYEDWARDS@YAHOO.COM

GENTILEMARK186@GMAIL.COM GERVINOJ@YAHOO.COM

GERVINOJ11@GMAIL.COM GLENNSATTELBERG1961@GMAIL.COM

HORLAMI84@YAHOO.COM JOHNVINO56@GMAIL.COM

JONES_DICKSON@YAHOO.COM JUSTIN.WORSHAM@YAHOO.COM

KAREN_ROB01@YAHOO.COM KEVINSMITH3949@YAHOO.COM

LMG.ORCHID1827@GMAIL.COM LLOYDFARELL0012008@YAHOO.COM

MARCHAS1963@GMAIL.COM MARK2GENTLE@YAHOO.COM

MATT.MILLER4070@GMAIL.COM MAXWELLSAMUEL59@YAHOO.COM

MIMICOLE001@YAHOO.COM MOBICOALZ@GMAIL.COM

OLADIMEJISEUN2008@YAHOO.COM OLUWA_NISHOLA@YAHOO.COM

PETERLAWSON5050@YAHOO.COM RASAQ_ADEROJU@YAHOO.COM

RDARWIN322@GMAIL.COM RDARWIN324@GMAIL.COM

REDARMY_TX_HOST@YAHOO.COM RHULANEF@YAHOO.COM

RWASSER@ROCKETMAIL.COM />EGSEA121@YAHOO.COM" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-decoration: none; box-shadow: rgb(15, 15, 15) 0px -1px 0px inset; transition: color 80ms ease-in, box-shadow 130ms ease-in-out, -webkit-box-shadow 130ms ease-in-out;">SEGSEA121@YAHOO.COM

SMITHKEVIN902@GMAIL.COM SPOWELL26AL@GMAIL.COM

SPOWELL26AL3@YAHOO.COM />TACYADAMS20009@YAHOO.COM" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-decoration: none; box-shadow: rgb(15, 15, 15) 0px -1px 0px inset; transition: color 80ms ease-in, box-shadow 130ms ease-in-out, -webkit-box-shadow 130ms ease-in-out;">STACYADAMS20009@YAHOO.COM

STARENTERPRISE74@YAHOO.COM SUSANV1418@YAHOO.COM

TESCOSG@YAHOO.COM

Stacy Adams Marlon Chase

Regina Darwin Folly Edwards

Kimberly Faye Lorene M. Garrett

Mark Gentile John Gervino

Dickson Jones Anita Lauren

Samuel Maxwell Mark Miller

Adeline Piper Sarah Powell

Karen Robinson Glenn Sattelberg

Kevin Smith Mark Smith

Richard Wasser Justin Worsham

Any information that you provide through the questionnaire may be helpful in the criminal investigation and prosecution of this case. A federal investigator may contact you with additional questions or to request documents you may have. Please note that submitting the questionnaire is not a substitute for consulting with your own attorney to determine what actions and remedies may be available to you through civil litigation. If you have any questions related to this matter that are not addressed at the above websites, you may contact federal law enforcement authorities at USAMSS.Scams@usdoj.gov.

Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Thursday, May 25, 2017

Three Nigerian nationals, who were extradited from South Africa to the Southern District of Mississippi in July 2015, were sentenced to prison this week for their roles in a large-scale international fraud network.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco, Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer Jr. of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans made the announcement.

Oladimeji Seun Ayelotan, 30, was sentenced to 95 years in prison. Rasaq Aderoju Raheem, 31, was sentenced to 115 years in prison. Femi Alexander Mewase, 45, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. After a three-week trial in early 2017, a federal jury found each defendant guilty of offenses involving mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, credit card fraud and theft of government property. Ayelotan and Raheem were also found guilty of conspiracies to commit bank fraud and money laundering.

A total of 21 defendants were charged in this case, 12 of whom have pleaded guilty to charges related to the conspiracy, and 11 of whom have been sentenced to date. One of the leaders of the conspiracy, Teslim Olarewaju Kiriji, 30, of Nigeria was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison. Six other defendants were previously sentenced to 10 years in prison each for their roles in this conspiracy: Adekunle Adefila, 41, of Nigeria; Anuoluwapo Segun Adegbemigun, 40, of Nigeria; Gabriel Oludare Adeniran, 30, of Nigeria; Olufemi Obaro Omoraka, 27, of Nigeria; Taofeeq Olamilekan Oyelade, 32, of Nigeria; and Olusegun Seyi Shonekan, 34, of Nigeria. Genoveva Farfan, 45, of California, was sentenced to 9 years in prison, and Rhulane Fionah Hlungwane, 26, of South Africa, to five years in prison for their roles in the conspiracy.

Olutoyin Ogunlade, 41, of New York, was sentenced to four years in prison. Dennis Brian Ladden, 75, of Wisconsin was sentenced to time served and six months’ home confinement. Susan Anne Villeneuve, 61, of California, pleaded guilty earlier this month and is awaiting sentencing.

According to the plea agreements and evidence at trial, the defendants and their co-conspirators carried out numerous internet-based fraud schemes dating back at least to 2001. These schemes involved using unsuspecting victims to cash counterfeit checks and money orders, using stolen credit card numbers to purchase electronics and other merchandise and using stolen personal identification information to take over victims’ bank accounts. As a whole, the conspiracy involved tens of millions of dollars in intended losses.

To accomplish their fraud schemes, the conspirators recruited the assistance of U.S. citizens via “romance scams,” in which the perpetrator would typically use a false identity on a dating website to establish a romantic relationship with an unsuspecting victim. According to trial evidence and plea documents, once the perpetrator gained the victim’s trust and affection, the perpetrator would convince the victim to either send money or to help carry out fraud schemes. For example, the defendants admitted that they used romance victims to launder money via Western Union and MoneyGram, to re-package and re-ship fraudulently obtained merchandise and to cash counterfeit checks.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Significant assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the HSI Cyber Crimes Center, HSI Attachés in Pretoria, South Africa and Dakar, Senegal, the U.S. Marshals Service’s International Investigations Branch and the Southern District of Mississippi District Office, the South African Police Service (SAPS) Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (DPCI) Electronic Crimes Unit, the SAPS Interpol Extradition Unit, the South African National Prosecution Authority and the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Trial Attorney Conor Mulroe of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Senior Counsel Peter Roman of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams of the Southern District of Mississippi tried the case.