On June 17, 2025, Otaniyen Iduozee, a Nigerian citizen in the United States on a student visa, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for his involvement in laundering funds from a large-scale fraud scheme. Richard Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced the sentencing. Iduozee had previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering under 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h).
The case revolved around a "romance scam," which typically targets elderly or vulnerable Americans. In such schemes, fraudsters feign romantic interest using fake or stolen identities and engage victims through online platforms. They cultivate relationships over time before fabricating urgent financial needs to solicit money from victims under false pretenses.
Court records indicate that after obtaining funds from victims, the defendants laundered the money through multiple transactions and transferred it overseas. Iduozee played a key role as a money launderer by setting up and managing fraudulent bank accounts used to process millions of dollars in victim funds back to Nigeria.
During sentencing, Chief United States District Court Judge Pamela Pepper noted the extensive nature of these fraud schemes and their severe impact on victims. Upon completing his sentence, Iduozee has agreed to be removed from the United States.
Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling remarked: “Individuals and groups who engage in these types of schemes not only cause financial loss but also shatter the trust of their victims, inflicting multiple layers of trauma and harm.” He praised both the courage of the victims who spoke out and those involved in bringing justice against the conspirators.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca Taibleson and Carter Stewart.
