U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin has sentenced Victor Ojo, a 30-year-old resident of Belcamp, Maryland, to six years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. This sentence comes as a result of his involvement in an aggravated identity theft and bank fraud scheme that aimed to defraud $1.5 million. Additionally, Ojo admitted to participating in a fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits scheme amounting to $28,350.
Judge Rubin also ordered Ojo to forfeit $20,014.03 and pay restitution totaling $78,350.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron alongside Andrew McKay and Scott Moffit from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s Mid-Atlantic Field Division and Cybercrime Investigations Division respectively.
According to court documents, from April 2016 through at least August 2019, Victor Ojo conspired with others including Damilola Ojo, Jamelia Thompson, and Raissa Kaossele to commit bank fraud using the IRS's Modernized Internet Employer Identification Number (MODIEIN) system. The group obtained various Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) using stolen personal information which were then used alongside fraudulent state business certificates to open bank accounts and deposit stolen or altered checks.
Ojo and his associates engaged in identity theft against individuals and compromised financial accounts of businesses while misdirecting wire transfers from banks. Evidence linked Ojo to these activities following his arrest when law enforcement discovered financial documents along with surveillance footage showing him interacting with fraudulent accounts.
In addition to these charges, Victor Ojo admitted that he fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits from California by using a victim's identification information. The benefits were deposited into an account linked to a Bank of America debit card which he used for cash withdrawals captured on surveillance cameras in Harford County, Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Barron acknowledged the efforts of TIGTA in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph L. Wenner, Paul Riley, John D’Amico as well as Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for their contributions.
The case is part of efforts by the District of Maryland Strike Force which investigates COVID-19 related fraud under initiatives established by the Department of Justice targeting large-scale pandemic relief fraud schemes.
For further details on pandemic-related fraud response or community resources offered by the Maryland U.S Attorney’s Office visit their official website.
