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A Nigerian citizen has been convicted in the United States of laundering millions of dollars stolen from elderly Americans by Internet scammers.
Olugbenga Lawal, 41, was sentenced to 10 years and 1 month in prison for conspiracy to launder illegal proceeds. It is known that he was a member of the Nigerian criminal group Black Axe.
According to investigators, the funds Laval was dealing with were stolen between January 2019 and June 2020.
Elder fraud (a form of financial exploitation of individuals aged 60 and over) involves scenarios in which their financial assets, savings or personal identification information are used for criminal purposes, often without their explicit knowledge or consent.
Criminals ingratiated themselves with victims online by posing as potential romantic partners, investors, or government officials.
Laval controlled several bank accounts in five American financial institutions, which received the stolen millions. Over two years, more than $3.6 million passed through his accounts.
He exchanged the stolen money for Nigerian currency and sent it to his accomplices back home. There were other methods: for example, the criminal bought cars in the USA and exported them to Africa.
As the US Department of Justice notes, Laval’s high status in the criminal structure is confirmed by the fact that he received money directly from victims of fraud, as well as from the lower echelons of the group.
In addition to the prison term, the court ordered Laval to pay $1.46 million in compensation to the victims.
Earlier, three of Laval's accomplices - Dwight Baines, Rita Assane and Michael Hermann - pleaded guilty to financial fraud and agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
According to the FBI, more than 88,000 older Americans were victims of online scams in 2022. Their combined losses amounted to $3.1 billion - 84% more than in 2021. The average loss per victim exceeded $35,000, and more than 5,000 victims lost amounts in excess of $100,000.
Financial crimes of this type remain a serious problem in both the United States and other countries. Law enforcement agencies continue to fight fraudulent schemes aimed at deceiving and stealing funds from older people. The US Department of Justice calls the Laval case an important precedent in countering such threats.
Olugbenga Lawal, 41, was sentenced to 10 years and 1 month in prison for conspiracy to launder illegal proceeds. It is known that he was a member of the Nigerian criminal group Black Axe.
According to investigators, the funds Laval was dealing with were stolen between January 2019 and June 2020.
Elder fraud (a form of financial exploitation of individuals aged 60 and over) involves scenarios in which their financial assets, savings or personal identification information are used for criminal purposes, often without their explicit knowledge or consent.
Criminals ingratiated themselves with victims online by posing as potential romantic partners, investors, or government officials.
Laval controlled several bank accounts in five American financial institutions, which received the stolen millions. Over two years, more than $3.6 million passed through his accounts.
He exchanged the stolen money for Nigerian currency and sent it to his accomplices back home. There were other methods: for example, the criminal bought cars in the USA and exported them to Africa.
As the US Department of Justice notes, Laval’s high status in the criminal structure is confirmed by the fact that he received money directly from victims of fraud, as well as from the lower echelons of the group.
In addition to the prison term, the court ordered Laval to pay $1.46 million in compensation to the victims.
Earlier, three of Laval's accomplices - Dwight Baines, Rita Assane and Michael Hermann - pleaded guilty to financial fraud and agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
According to the FBI, more than 88,000 older Americans were victims of online scams in 2022. Their combined losses amounted to $3.1 billion - 84% more than in 2021. The average loss per victim exceeded $35,000, and more than 5,000 victims lost amounts in excess of $100,000.
Financial crimes of this type remain a serious problem in both the United States and other countries. Law enforcement agencies continue to fight fraudulent schemes aimed at deceiving and stealing funds from older people. The US Department of Justice calls the Laval case an important precedent in countering such threats.
