Justice Obtained-Guilty Plea in Romance Scam!

The Justice Department in the Southern District of Illinois issued a press release on March 3, 2016 announcing a perpetrator in the midst of trial changed his plea to guilty. Nigerian Scammer Convicted Of On-Line Romance Fraud notes that the perpetrator, the ringleader, pleaded guilty to all charges. He was arrested in London in 2014 and at trial, “‘the evidence established that [the perpetrator], a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was the ringleader of a criminal organization operating within South Africa that targeted and stole from hundreds of women across the United States, including dozens in the St. Louis metropolitan area.” noted Acting United states Attorney Porter. “Our office will continue to pursue justice for these victims in [the perpetrator’s] prison sentence and in our never-ending efforts to get restitution.”‘

Sentencing is set for early in the summer, and  “[b]y statute, [the perpetrator] faces a maximum prison sentence of 127 years, a fine of $250,000 on each of the eight counts of the indictment, and as much as five years of supervised release. He will also be required to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes.”