Three Nigerians based in the United States, Olumide Olorunfunmi, Samson Amos, and Emmanuel Unuigbe, are facing the possibility of a combined 60-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges of money laundering conspiracy amounting to $4.5 million.
The United States Department of Justice announced on Sunday that the trio conspired to launder proceeds from romance scams and business email compromise schemes, resulting in losses to about 125 victims across the country.
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Court documents revealed that while Amos and Unuigbe pleaded guilty in 2023, Olorunfunmi admitted guilt during his arraignment at a federal court in Charlotte on Friday.
The statement noted that the money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each defendant.
According to the Department of Justice, the criminal scheme operated between 2020 and 2023, during which victims were directed to deposit money into accounts controlled by Amos and his co-conspirators.
The funds were subsequently transferred to bank accounts in Nigeria, with the conspirators keeping a percentage of the money as profit.
The laundered funds were linked to romance scams, typically targeting elderly victims, and business email compromise schemes.
Reports indicate that the defendants moved the money through both domestic and international accounts, even exchanging dollars for Nigerian naira through black market rates.
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The Justice Department emphasized that Olorunfunmi and his co-conspirators profited from the scheme by transferring fraud proceeds between the United States and Nigeria.
The court is yet to set a sentencing date for the three convicts.
