Indiana man Tochukwu Nwosisi has been convicted by a federal jury for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar international advance fee scheme originating from Nigeria.
The scheme, which ran from February 2015 to October 2018, targeted victims worldwide with fraudulent offers of investment funding and inheritances.
Nwosisi was a money launderer, accepting victim funds into his U.S. bank accounts and sending the proceeds to the scheme’s organizers in Nigeria.
During the six-day trial, evidence showed that victims lost over $5.6 million in total. Nwosisi was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and will be sentenced later.
Multimillion-Dollar Fee Scheme (Credits: Miami New Times)
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani emphasized that individuals who assist fraudsters in moving and concealing stolen funds are equally responsible for the crimes. He stated that Nwosisi took nearly $1 million from victims for personal enrichment and deserved to face the consequences.
Six others have already been convicted for their roles in the scheme. Nwosisi was allowed to remain on bond until his sentencing. The FBI and the Department of State’s Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Latham and Trial Attorney Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section of the Department of Justice.
