The Eastern District of Wisconsin’s United States Attorney, Gregory J. Haanstad, disclosed that a grand jury had issued a superseding indictment on January 23, 2024. Under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349; wire fraud under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343; and conspiracy to commit money laundering under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956, the indictment charges Nigerian nationals John Umukoro, Shedrack Umukoro, and Otaniyen Iduozee with conspiring to commit wire fraud.
The accused were engaged in a complex operation between November 2021 and May 2022, according to court documents that were filed, with the intention of deceitfully obtaining and laundering money from American residents who thought they were lending money to their love partners.
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The defendants created text-based romantic relationships with older women by pretending to be older males who were looking for connections on dating services, according to court documents. After they had gained their victims’ trust, they preyed on them by pretending to have urgent and temporary financial requirements and asking for “loans.”
But according to court documents, the so-called “loans” were never paid back, which cost several victims their whole life savings. Before sending the money abroad, the defendants are accused of using a number of transactions to launder the funds they had collected.
Each offence carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and a maximum of three years of supervised release if found guilty.
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The investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security, and Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Taibleson would prosecute the case.
The public should be aware that a criminal complaint or indictment constitutes a charge, and that a person is deemed innocent until and until they are proven guilty.
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