Three men have been sentenced for their roles in an international fraud scheme that stole millions of dollars from vulnerable Americans, particularly older adults, over five years.
The fraud ring, which originated in Nigeria, operated mainly via mail and wire communications, using various tactics to steal money from unsuspecting victims across the U.S.
The convicted fraudsters, two from Dallas and one from Kalamazoo, Michigan, were sentenced after their involvement in a complex international scam that stole over $2 million between 2017 and 2022.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the scam targeted elderly adults by building fake relationships with them through online dating sites, social media, and false business opportunities and then exploiting them for money.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark A. Totten, who spoke on the severe emotional and financial toll the fraud had on its victims.
“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,” Totten said.
“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,” Totten added.
Fatai Okunola, 38, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, received the longest sentence of 121 months in prison after being convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements in his U.S. citizenship application. Okunola was also ordered to pay restitution of roughly $732,000 for his role in the scheme. After completing his prison sentence in America, he will be deported to Nigeria.
Oluwaseyi Adeola, 34, of Dallas, was sentenced to 34 months in prison for his participation in the fraud scheme. He was also ordered to pay restitution of around $410,000.
Ijeoma Adeola, 36, also of Dallas, received a sentence of three years of probation. She was convicted of failing to report the crime and helping to conceal the fraud scheme. In addition to her probation, Ijeoma was ordered to pay restitution of $48,570.
Another suspect, Cory McDougal, 33, of Romeoville, Illinois, has also pled guilty to his involvement and is currently awaiting sentencing.
The money from the scheme was funneled through multiple channels, including mailed checks, wire transfers, and digital payment apps.
According to court documents, Okunola was particularly active in laundering the illegal funds, using the profits to help people he knew buy cars in the U.S. and ship them to Nigeria.
The investigation, led by Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, is ongoing. Agents continue to explore potential links to other scams and encourage the public to report suspected Internet-based fraud through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
“Our agents will continue the important work of dismantling interstate and international fraud schemes that would seek to rob Americans of their hard-earned money,” said Homeland Security Investigations Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar.
“These cases are too often a reminder for us to check in on elderly family members and members of our community to ensure that they are not taken advantage of by sophisticated schemes,” Salazar added.