3 419'ers looking at upto 20 years...

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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:25 pm

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/01/scammers_plead_guilty_in_us/

Three West African defendants pleaded guilty to federal charges of running an advance-fee scheme that targeted U.S. victims with promises of millions of dollars, including money from an estate and a lottery.

The guilty plea proceedings were held this week before US Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York.

Nnamdi Chizuba Anisiobi, Anthony Friday Ehis and Kesandu Egwuonwu were extradited from the Netherlands after police raids in February 2006. Following these arrests Dutch police started Operation Apollo to fight internet fraud scams operated by West Africans and notably Nigerians.

Using names such as Yellowman, Abdul Rahman, Michael Anderson, Edmund Walter, Nancy White, Jiggaman and Namo, the men sent spam emails to thousands of potential victims, in which they falsely claimed to control millions of dollars located abroad.

In one scenario, the defendants sent emails purporting to be from an individual suffering from terminal throat cancer who needed assistance distributing approximately $55m to charity.

A fourth defendant fled to Nigeria, but was later arrested by the Nigerian Economic & Financial Crimes Commission. He also will be extradited to the US. The maximum penalty for mail and wire fraud in North America is 20 years in prison.

So far, most Nigerian scammers arrested in Europe have been deported back to Nigeria or sentenced locally. However, assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division this week that online scam artists should be "on notice that we will continue to work closely with our international partners to ensure that there are no safe geographic boundaries for committing these crimes." �

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:30 pm

Well spotted MBL.

Thanks for posting, I'll be spreading the link around as well

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:33 pm

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:11 pm

I'm most interested in the extradition from Nigeria to the USA - this rather raises the bar for prosecutions...sure, it's one way to get a free flight to the US, but surely not what the guy had in mind! I'll be interested to see what the eventual sentences are, but seeing as postal and wire fraud are severely prosecuted in the US, this could be a real attention-grabber!

If anyone has to burn their scammers, or are just mass-insulting them, the link may prove a bit of fun to add salt to wounds?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:03 pm

I have a copy of the indictment in PDF. I don't know where that can be hosted, but if someone has a place I'll e-mail it to you and you can post a link to it.

EDIT: E-snips works for me Smile

http://www.esnips.com/doc/bdfb7d01-eebf-4e51-b606-371a95630bd7/complaint

That is the complaint filed in the Federal Courts against these people. (PDF)

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:33 pm

That indictment PDF is excellent! We now know these 4 characters netted $1M+ (page 12), and that the posting of the cheques and the phone calls to/through the US are major vectors of prosecution. That would suggest that these are important trophies to receive and record by our US members!

Thanks for digging it out - everyone with a spare 30' should give it a read Smile

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:40 pm

Great news that they caught them and they are being tried in court. Bad news - my tax dollar is going to support them while they are imprisoned in the U. S. Crying or Very sad

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:55 pm

Chib: Got to bring them to justice man. My tax dollars too, but they stole over $1M from various victims that we know about. So I am happy to pay for 3 hots and a cot for them.

MBL: No problem digging it up. Since it was in the US I had to read it. They plead guilty. Not to all of the offenses, but each one to some combination of them. I am not sure what kind of time they will get. Since it is federal charge I am sure they are going to go for some period of time.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 54

"We get caught laundering money, we're not going to white color resort prison. No, no, no. We're going to Federal pound me in the ass prison"
-Office Space

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:21 pm

A slightly longer version of the story which came out Friday or so, I think. I agree with manbiteslion above that the extradition is an interesting point. It's practically amazing.

Three Defendants Plead Guilty in "Advance-Fee" Fraud Scheme

(Media-Newswire.com) - WASHINGTON � Three defendants pleaded guilty to federal charges of running an �advance-fee� scheme that targeted U.S. victims with promises of millions of dollars, including money from an estate and a lottery, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Benton J. Campbell of the Eastern District of New York announced today. The guilty plea proceedings were held before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York.

The investigation was initiated by Dutch law enforcement authorities. After identifying victims in the United States, the Dutch authorities notified the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which opened its own investigation, resulting in the charges against the defendants. Three of the defendants were arrested in Amsterdam on February 21, 2006, and were subsequently extradited to the United States. They are:

Nnamdi Chizuba Anisiobi ( a/k/a Yellowman, Abdul Rahman, Michael Anderson, Edmund Walter, Nancy White, Jiggaman, and Namo ), 31, citizen of Nigeria;

Anthony Friday Ehis ( a/k/a John J. Smith, Toni N. Amokwu and Mr. T ), 34, citizen of Senegal; and

Kesandu Egwuonwu ( a/k/a KeKe, Joey Martin Maxwell, David Mark, Helmut Schkinger ), 35, citizen of Nigeria.

Anisiobi pled guilty to one count of conspiracy, eight counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. Ehis pled guilty to one count of conspiracy and five counts of wire fraud. Egwuonwu pled guilty to one count of conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. The fraud victims allegedly lost more than $1.2 million.

A fourth defendant, also a Nigerian citizen, Lenn Nwokeafor ( a/k/a Eric Williams, Lee, Chucks, and Nago ), fled to Nigeria and was subsequently arrested by the Nigerian Economic & Financial Crimes Commission on July 27, 2006, pursuant to a United States arrest warrant. He is being held by the Nigerian authorities pending extradition to the United States.

According to the indictment and an earlier filed complaint, the defendants sent �spam� e-mails to thousands of potential victims, in which they falsely claimed to control millions of dollars located abroad. Attempting to conceal their identities, the defendants used a variety of aliases, phone numbers, and email addresses. In one scenario, the defendants sent emails purporting to be from an individual suffering from terminal throat cancer who needed assistance distributing approximately $55 million to charity. In exchange for a victim�s help, the defendants offered to give a 20% commission to the victim or a charity of his or her choice. Subsequently, as part of the ruse, the defendants would send a variety of fraudulent documents, including a �Letter of Authority� or a �Certificate of Deposit,� making it appear that the promised funds were available, and pictures of an individual claiming to suffer from throat cancer. Defendant Anisiobi allegedly telephoned victims, disguising his voice to give the impression that he was suffering from throat cancer.

After obtaining their victims� trust, the defendants asked them to wire-transfer payment for a variety of advance fees, ostensibly for legal representation, taxes, and additional documentation. In return, the victims received nothing. In a variation of the scheme, if the victims said they could not afford to pay the advance fees, the defendants would send them counterfeit checks, supposedly from a cancer patient, to cover those fees. Many victims deposited the checks and then drew on them to wire-transfer the advance fees. Subsequently, when the checks did not clear, the victims suffered substantial losses.

�Online scam artists should be on notice that we will continue to work closely with our international partners to ensure that there are no safe geographic boundaries for committing these crimes,� said Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division. �These defendants preyed upon the kindness and charity of their victims by sending thousands of scam emails aimed at their recipients� heartstrings,� stated United States Attorney Benton J. Campbell. �If you receive an email offering you money in exchange for an advance fee, you would be well advised to delete it.�

The maximum penalty for mail and wire fraud is 20 years in prison. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and prosecuted by Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Mary ( Kit ) Dimke, Amanda Riedel, and Nicola Mrazek, Paralegal Pamela Johnson, and Assistant United States Attorney Tanya Hill.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:24 am

To my knowledge, there is no such offence as postal/wire fraud in the Netherlands - or if there is, it's not the huge deal it is in the US. If the case originated in the Netherlands, it makes me wonder if an embittered and spiteful (see, spite can be a force for good!) police commissioner thought they'd get far nastier sentences in the US, so tipped them off?

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 1:15 am

Man:

Might not be too far from the truth. There are substantial dollar losses to US victims and the sentencing guidelines in federal cases up the penalty based on the amt stolen as well.

My guess is the US may have started the investigation when vics came forward, and gotten the Netherland officials involved once it was traced back there. How would the vic necessarily know it was someone in the Netherlands scamming them? They MIGHT check the IP, but even if they did, how would they contact LEO there? Much more likely that a US vic contacted the FBI/Postal Inspector and some alert agent put the aliases together and realized this was a big ring.

Nothing against the Netherlands and their LEO, but the case is likely driven by where the victim is as they are the ones with the reason to file a complaint. Most will file their complaint with the local LEO even if it is not the right agency to start with.

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 10:46 am

The complaint .pdf was interesting to read, although maybe more interesting to lawyers.

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