Another romance and investment scam that drained hundreds of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting victims has resulted in federal prison sentences for four Nigerian nationals based in the United States and Canada, with one victim losing over $400,000 in just several months.
The U.S. District Court in Western Tennessee handed down prison terms ranging from two and a half to five years to Patrick Edah, 40, of Toronto; Efe Egbowawa, 41, of Atlanta; Igocha Mac-Okor, 40, of Atlanta; and Kay Ozegbe, 44, a naturalized U.S. citizen also residing in Atlanta.
“These individuals used deception and fraud to prey on the vulnerable causing unmeasurable emotional damage and significant financial losses,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI’s Nashville Field Office, Memphis Resident Agency.
According to evidence presented in court, the group operated from 2017 to November 2021, creating false identities on social media, gaming applications, and dating websites. They rapidly developed relationships with victims through text messages, emails, and phone calls before requesting emergency financial assistance that grew increasingly larger over time.
The four defendants served as “money mules,” working to obscure the money trail by moving funds through multiple bank accounts and shell companies. They were indicted by a federal grand jury on June 29, 2023, for conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker handed down the sentences between April and October 2024, with Egbowawa receiving five years, Ozegbe three years, Mac-Okor four years, and Edah two and a half years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation, which revealed dozens of victims who lost amounts ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Joe Carrico promised that “the FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to target these predators and bring them to justice.”
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