A District Court in the United States, has sentenced a Nigerian man, Victor Uzor, to four years in prison, for his involvement in a $1.1 million business email compromise scheme.
In the judgment handed down by Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge on Tuesday, the sentence went with three years of supervised release and over $1 million in restitution.
United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero disclosed this in a statement on the Department of Justice website on Tuesday.
Romero said, on January 2, 2024, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
The scheme typically involved another member of the conspiracy disguising as a legitimate vendor and sending a false invoice to the victim organisation.
As reported on the website, Uzor's involvement in the offence entailed opening a sequence of bank accounts under the identities of innocent individuals unrelated to the crime.
Another accomplice planned for the victims to transfer money to the accounts established by Uzor.
Subsequently, Uzor promptly withdrew these funds and transferred them to other accounts to avoid detection before the scam was detected.
In all, Uzor aided in the theft of approximately $1.1 million from the victimised businesses and individuals.
In the same vein, he made an attempt to steal another $400,000, which became unsuccessful.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
One of the victims of the scheme was a nonprofit mental health care provider situated in Doylestown, PA.
"First, Victor Uzor victimised the people whose identities he stole to facilitate this scheme," said Romero.
"Then he helped prey upon the primary targets of the business email compromise, including a nonprofit organisation in Bucks County dedicated to providing behavioural health care for the underprivileged and underserved -- a safety net for those in need of care.
"In stealing from this provider, he shortchanged its employees, patients, and the community. My office is committed to holding accountable anyone involved in such a clear-cut case of fraud," said the U.S. attorney.
Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia, Wayne A. Jacobs, said, "The FBI works each and every day to dismantle fraud schemes that affect our citizens.
"Alongside our partners, we will continue to bring to justice criminals who orchestrate these scams, and protect the hard-earned assets of our citizens."
