Three Nigerians in the U.S. have been sentenced for their roles in a years-long fraud scheme targeting elderly victims. Authorities revealed that Fatai Okunola, 38, from Kalamazoo, received a sentence of over 10 years, alongside more than $730,000 in restitution for his involvement. Okunola’s sentence includes five years for making false statements during naturalization and 10 years for money laundering.
Two Dallas residents, Oluwaseyi Adeola, 34, and Ijeoma Adeola, 36, were also sentenced. Oluwaseyi was given nearly three years in prison, with about $410,000 in restitution, while Ijeoma received three years of probation and was ordered to pay nearly $49,000 in restitution.
The trio conspired with individuals in Nigeria to target U.S. residents, especially the elderly and vulnerable. They used fake identities online, often through social media or phone calls, to establish relationships with victims, convincing them to send money. The funds were channeled through various bank accounts and P.O. boxes, with Okunola also helping ship cars from the U.S. to Nigeria.
The scheme ran from 2017 to 2022, defrauding victims of over $2 million. U.S. Attorney Mark Totten emphasized that the defendants took advantage of modern technology, leaving victims financially devastated, some losing their retirement savings or taking out loans to cover the fraud.
