A 42-year-old Nigerian, Mike Oziegbe Amiegbe, will be sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by an American court after pleading guilty for his role in online romance scams targeting individuals in the United States.
According to the US Department of Justice (DoJ) in a statement, Amiegbe who is residing in Dorchester was found guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud after a criminal complaint was filed in March 2021.
The Judge in charge of the District Court in Boston, Indira Talwani, has scheduled Amiegbe’s sentencing for May 23, 2022.
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Judge Talwani said from approximately 2017 through at least 2020, Amiegbe and others participated in a series of romance scams designed to defraud victims into sending money to accounts controlled by them.
She disclosed that romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.
“In furtherance of the scheme, Amiegbe deposited checks from victims into bank accounts opened under false identities,” DoJ said.
“Amiegbe and, allegedly, co-conspirators then withdrew and passed a portion of the funds to co-conspirators.
“Amiegbe admitted that at least $550,000 in fraud proceeds was deposited into fraudulent bank accounts he controlled.”
