Six Nigerian nationals were extradited from South Africa to Gulfport, Mississippi, to face a nine-count federal indictment in the Southern District of Mississippi alleging various Internet fraud schemes. A total of 20 defendants are charged in this case.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
Oladimeji Seun Ayelotan, 30; Rasaq Aderoju Raheem, 31; Olusegun Seyi Shonekan, 33; Taofeeq Olamilekan Oyelade, 30; Olufemi Obaro Omoraka, 26; and Anuoluwapo Segun Adegbemigun, 39, are charged along with 15 others in an Oct. 7, 2014, indictment with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit identity theft, use of unauthorized account access devices, theft of U.S. government funds and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges stem from the defendants alleged participation in numerous Internet-based complex financial fraud schemes, including romance scams, re-shipping scams, fraudulent check scams and work-at-home scams, as well as bank, financial and credit card account takeovers.
According to the allegations in the indictment, from as early as 2001, the defendants identified and solicited potential victims through online dating websites and work-at-home opportunities. In some instances, the defendants allegedly carried on fictitious online romantic relationships with victims for the purpose of using the victims to further certain objectives of the conspiracy. For example, the indictment alleges that the defendants convinced victims to ship and receive merchandise purchased with stolen personal identifying information (PII) and compromised credit card and banking information, to deposit counterfeit checks, and to transfer proceeds of the conspiracy via wire, U.S. mail or express delivery services. To date, defendants Teslim Olarewaju Kiriji, 30; Olutoyin Ogunlade, 41; and Dennis Brian Ladden, 75, have been convicted of offenses relating to their roles in the schemes. Defendants Susan Anne Villeneuve, 49; and Genoveva Farfan, 45; Sesan Olumide Farin, 40; Femi Alexander Mewase, 44; Rhulane Fionah Hlungwane, 24; and Adekunle Adefila, 40, are awaiting trial. The United States is seeking extradition from Nigeria of defendants Kayode Bamidele, Ajayi Oluwaseyi Stephen and Emmanuel Adeniyi Osokomaiya. Defendants Gabriel Oludare Adeniran and Oduntan Sikiru Lawani remain fugitives.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Significant assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the HSI Cyber Crimes Center, HSI Attachés in Pretoria and Dakar, U.S. Marshals Service’s International Investigations Branch and the Southern District of Mississippi, the South African Police Service (SAPS) Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (DPCI) Electronic Crimes Unit, the SAPS Interpol Extradition Unit, the South African National Prosecution Authority, and the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Robert Tully of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Annette Williams and Scott Gilbert of the Southern District of Mississippi. If you believe that you may have been a victim of criminal fraud committed by any of the defendants, please go to http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/scams and complete the questionnaire using the password scams. Defendants allegedly used the following email addresses and names to perpetuate the scheme: REDARMY_TX_HOST@YAHOO.COM MOBICOALZ@GMAIL.COM RWASSER@ROCKETMAIL.COM FOLLYEDWARDS@YAHOO.COM RDARWIN322@GMAIL.COM RDARWIN324@GMAIL.COM KAREN_ROB01@YAHOO.COM FAYEKIMBERLY19@YAHOO.COM FAYEKIMBERLY@YMAIL.COM TESCOSG@YAHOO.COM GERVINOJ@YAHOO.COM GERVINOJ11@GMAIL.COM JOHNVINO56@GMAIL.COM RASAQ_ADEROJU@YAHOO.COM KEVINSMITH3949@YAHOO.COM SMITHKEVIN902@GMAIL.COM ANITA.LAUREN01@GMAIL.COM ANITA.LAUREN1@GMAIL.COM SPOWELL26AL@GMAIL.COM SPOWELL26AL3@YAHOO.COM GENTILEMARK186@GMAIL.COM RHULANEF@YAHOO.COM LMG.ORCHID1827@GMAIL.COM MARK2GENTLE@YAHOO.COM MATT.MILLER4070@GMAIL.COM JONES_DICKSON@YAHOO.COM LLOYDFARELL0012008@YAHOO.COM MARCHAS1963@GMAIL.COM OLADIMEJISEUN2008@YAHOO.COM STACYADAMS20009@YAHOO.COM JUSTIN.WORSHAM@YAHOO.COM OLUWA_NISHOLA@YAHOO.COM MIMICOLE001@YAHOO.COM FNCYJEN@YAHOO.COM FMPLUST12@GMAIL.COM SUSANV1418@YAHOO.COM MAXWELLSAMUEL59@YAHOO.COM SEGSEA121@YAHOO.COM STARENTERPRISE74@YAHOO.COM FEMI_OMORAKA@YAHOO.COM PETERLAWSON5050@YAHOO.COM ADDIEP01@YAHOO.COM GLENNSATTELBERG1961@GMAIL.COM HORLAMI84@YAHOO.COM EMPLOYMENTOFFERS007@YAHOO.COM Richard Wasser Adeline Piper Glenn Sattelberg Folly Edwards Samuel Maxwell Stacy Adams Regina Darwin Justin Worsham Marlon Chase Karen Robinson Dickson Jones Mark Miller Kimberly Faye Mark Smith Lorene M. Garrett John Gervino Mark Gentile Sarah Powell Kevin Smith Anita Lauren Any information that you provide through the questionnaire may be helpful in the criminal investigation and prosecution of this case. A federal investigator may contact you with additional questions or to request documents you may have. Please note that submitting the questionnaire is not a substitute for consulting with your own attorney to determine what actions and remedies may be available to you through civil litigation. If you have any questions related to this matter that are not addressed at the above websites, you may contact federal law enforcement authorities at USAMSS.Scams@usdoj.gov.
Ayelotan Second Superseding Indictment
Source: US Department of Justice
