Four Nigerian citizens have been sentenced for their involvement in international romance scams. They used fake profiles on dating sites and social media to trick people, including those in Western Tennessee, into sending them money. According to the
U.S. Attorney’s Office
, Patrick Edah, Efe Egbowawa, Igocha Mac-Okor, and Kay Ozegbe were convicted.
The conspiracy, which operated from 2017 through November 2021, involved the defendants adopting false identities to establish romantic or friendly connections online. Once trust was established, they tricked victims into sending money for purported emergencies. As the
U.S. Attorney’s Office
reported, the losses ranged from a few thousand dollars to several hundred thousand, with one victim alone enduring a loss of more than $400,000.
A federal jury in Tennessee indicted the four on June 29, 2023, for their involvement in sophisticated fraud and money laundering operations. Following their trials, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker handed down sentences ranging between 30 and 60 months in federal prison. These sentences aim to reflect the profound emotional distress and substantial financial detriment caused to the victims of these scams.
In sentencing, Egbowawa received a 60-month term on April 17. Ozegbe was given 36 months on September 23, while Edah and Mac-Okor were sentenced to 30 months and 50 months on October 30. The FBI, alongside the United States Postal Inspection Service, spearheaded the investigation leading to the convictions.
The scam involved various roles, with Edah, Egbowawa, Mac-Okor, and Ozegbe acting as “money mules,” relaying the illicit proceeds through banking systems and shell corporations to obscure the funds’ origins. The United States Attorney’s Office thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Arvin and Scott Smith, as well as law enforcement partners, for their diligence in prosecuting this case. To read more about the sentencing and the case, visit the
U.S. Attorney’s Office release
.
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