A United States District Court has sentenced a 57-year-old Nigerian national, Uche Victor Diuno, to five years in prison for his role in a fraud targeted at victims in over 20 countries.
This was disclosed in a statement published on the website of the US Justice Ministry on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
The Ministry stated that it would commence legal proceedings to deport him after the completion of his jail term.
According to the statement, Diuno helped orchestrate a scam in which fraudsters abroad lured victims with false promises of millions in investment funding and inheritances.
The US Ministry stated that the defendant’s co-conspirators hid their identities and posed as executives and employees of top U.S. banks to deceive victims into making payments to secure purported investment and money transfer agreements.
It said other members of the conspiracy then laundered these payments through U.S. bank accounts and directed them back to the scheme’s leaders in Nigeria.
Diuno was said to have pleaded guilty to prosecutors’ fraud-related charges on Feb. 1, 2024.
He was quoted to have said he regretted his actions and the great financial and emotional harm he caused to victims of the scheme.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Christian Latham and Trial Attorney Philip Trout, who prosecuted the case, urged the court to convict the defendant.
In his judgment, U.S. District Judge, Alfred H. Bennett, observed that the defendant played a significant role in the multi-million dollar fraud.
Reacting to the development, the U.S. Attorney, Alamdar S. Hamdani, stated on Wednesday that authorities will continue to track all perpetrators of crimes.
He explained that Diuno helped orchestrate a team of fraudsters impersonating U.S. bank executives to pitch fake investments and fake payouts to real victims around the world.
