How a Nigerian helped launder money stolen from elderly Americans.
In the United States, a Nigerian citizen was convicted of laundering millions of dollars stolen from elderly Americans by Internet scammers.
41-year-old Olugbenga Lawal was sentenced to 10 years and 1 month in prison for conspiracy to legalize illegal income. It is known that he was a member of the Nigerian criminal group Black Axe.
According to the investigation, the funds Laval dealt with were stolen between January 2019 and June 2020.
Fraud against older persons (a form of financial exploitation of persons aged 60 and over) involves scenarios in which their financial assets, savings, or personal identification data 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 employees.
Laval controlled several bank accounts in five American financial institutions, where the stolen millions were received. Over two years, more than $ 3.6 million has 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 United States and exported them to Africa.
According to the US Department of Justice, Laval's high status in the criminal structure is confirmed by the fact that he received money directly from fraud victims, as well as from the lower level 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 associates-Dwight Baines, Rita Assane and Michael Hermann-pleaded guilty to financial fraud and agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
According to the FBI, in 2022, more than 88 thousand elderly Americans were affected by Internet scams. Their combined losses amounted to $ 3.1 billion - 84% more than in 2021. The average damage per victim exceeded 35 thousand dollars, and more than 5,000 victims lost amounts over 100 thousand dollars.
Financial crimes of this kind remain a serious problem for both the United States and other countries. Law enforcement agencies continue to fight fraudulent schemes aimed at deception and embezzlement of funds from older people. The US Department of Justice calls the Laval case an important precedent in countering such threats.
In the United States, a Nigerian citizen was convicted of laundering millions of dollars stolen from elderly Americans by Internet scammers.
41-year-old Olugbenga Lawal was sentenced to 10 years and 1 month in prison for conspiracy to legalize illegal income. It is known that he was a member of the Nigerian criminal group Black Axe.
According to the investigation, the funds Laval dealt with were stolen between January 2019 and June 2020.
Fraud against older persons (a form of financial exploitation of persons aged 60 and over) involves scenarios in which their financial assets, savings, or personal identification data 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 employees.
Laval controlled several bank accounts in five American financial institutions, where the stolen millions were received. Over two years, more than $ 3.6 million has 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 United States and exported them to Africa.
According to the US Department of Justice, Laval's high status in the criminal structure is confirmed by the fact that he received money directly from fraud victims, as well as from the lower level 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 associates-Dwight Baines, Rita Assane and Michael Hermann-pleaded guilty to financial fraud and agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
According to the FBI, in 2022, more than 88 thousand elderly Americans were affected by Internet scams. Their combined losses amounted to $ 3.1 billion - 84% more than in 2021. The average damage per victim exceeded 35 thousand dollars, and more than 5,000 victims lost amounts over 100 thousand dollars.
Financial crimes of this kind remain a serious problem for both the United States and other countries. Law enforcement agencies continue to fight fraudulent schemes aimed at deception and embezzlement of funds from older people. The US Department of Justice calls the Laval case an important precedent in countering such threats.
