Four individuals have pleaded guilty to federal charges for their involvement in a Nigeria-based international mail and wire fraud scheme that often targeted elderly victims.
Fatai Okunola, 37, of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Oluwaseyi Adeola, 34, of Dallas, Texas; and Cory McDougal, 33, of Romeoville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and Ijeoma Adeola, 36, also of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony.
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“Securing these guilty pleas is a step forward to ensuring justice for the victims of this international fraud scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “The defendants used modern technology, including the internet and social media platforms – something we all rely upon every day to communicate and carry out legitimate tasks in our daily lives – to prey on elderly and vulnerable victims. Some of the victims in this case lost their retirement savings, took loans against their homes, or suffered other financial distress because of the defendants’ alleged lies. My office will vigorously pursue sentences that appropriately reflect the seriousness of this financial fraud and the damage they have done to the public’s confidence in the information we all receive over the internet every day.”
The scheme operated by creating false online identities to establish relationships with victims through social media, text messages, and phone calls. The perpetrators often posed as romantic interests, potential buyers or sellers, landlords, or individuals offering loans or grants. Victims were then persuaded to send money to the defendants, who used various methods to conceal their illicit activities.
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Fatai Okunola also pleaded guilty to making false statements on his naturalization application and money laundering, using proceeds from the scheme to purchase vehicles for export to Nigeria.
All defendants are scheduled for sentencing on January 14, 2025, and face potential prison terms and restitution orders. Authorities encourage potential victims to come forward and report any suspected internet crimes.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with safeguarding the nation’s mail system, and those who use it, from fraud and exploitation – a charge we take very seriously,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins. “Particularly when it comes to our most vulnerable populations, we work tirelessly alongside our partners to prosecute such financial predators to the fullest extent of the law. I would like to thank HSI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for their partnership and the great work on this case leading to today’s guilty pleas.”
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