Tag:

Nigeria

NJ Couple Convicted Of Turning Immigrants Into Slaves NJ Couple Convicted Of Turning Immigrants Into Slaves
NJ Couple Convicted Of Turning Immigrants Into Slaves UPDATE: A South Jersey couple was convicted of forcing a pair of undocumented immigrants into slavery after luring them to America. Bolaji Bolarinwa, 50, and Isiaka Bolarinwa, 67, of Moorestown were discovered when one of the victims told her college professor, who alerted the FBI, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said. Originally from Nigeria, the couple were living in New Jersey as U.S. citizens when they recruited two victims to follow them, Sellinger said. They "engaged in an egregious bait-and-switch, luring the victims with false promises of a life and an education …
CYBERFOOTSIES: Ex-NJ Couple, Money Washer Confess $4.5M Online Romance Scam CYBERFOOTSIES: Ex-NJ Couple, Money Washer Confess $4.5M Online Romance Scam
Cyberfootsies: Ex-NJ Couple, Money Washer Confess $4.5M Online Romance Scam UPDATE: A former New Jersey couple and a local businesswoman have admitted scamming more than 100 lonely hearts out of $4.5 million in an elaborate online romance scheme, federal authorities charged. Martins Inalegwu, 35, took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in U.S. District Court in Camden on Monday, March 25 to conducting an unlawful money-transmitting business and evading taxes for four straight years. Inalegwu's wife, Steincy Mathieu, 27, had already pleaded guilty to tax evasion last November.  Oluwaseyi Fatolu, 56, of Springfield, followed her by admitting this past …
Dorchester's Ayo Edebiri Wins 1st Golden Globe Award Dorchester's Ayo Edebiri Wins 1st Golden Globe Award
Dorchester's Ayo Edebiri Wins 1st Golden Globe Award Ayo Edebiri and the cast of “The Bear” took home several awards during the 81st Golden Globes, and the Boston native wasn’t about to let a reporter ruin their night by pulling out a half-naked Calvin Klein ad of her co-star. The FX series won for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, while Jeremy Allen White took home the Best Actor award and Ayo Edebiri snagged her Best Actress award in the same category on Sunday, Jan. 7. The 28-year-old Dorchester native — whose mother is from Barbados, and her father is Nigerian — attended St. Margaret School and sang in the church choir. Relat…
Short Hills Native Represents Ireland At World Cup: 'Dream Come True' Short Hills Native Represents Ireland At World Cup: 'Dream Come True'
Short Hills Native Represents Ireland At World Cup: 'Dream Come True' The goalie for Team Ireland at the Women's World Club might look familiar. Courtney Brosnan, who was raised in Short Hills and attended Millburn High School, is the goalkeeper for Team Ireland at the 2023 Women's World Club which starts Thursday, July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. Ireland is in a group with Nigeria, Canada and Australia. Brosnan, whose paternal grandparents were Irish, plays for Everton FC in the Women's Soccer League.  "A dream come true for me and my family," Brosnan wrote on Instagram. "Hard to put into words how much it means to me to be able to represent our count…
$450K Scheme: Norwich Man Admits Helping Defraud Victims On Social Media $450K Scheme: Norwich Man Admits Helping Defraud Victims On Social Media
$450K Scheme: Norwich Man Admits Helping Defraud Victims On Social Media A Connecticut man faces more than 20 years in prison after admitting to taking part in a scheme to defraud numerous victims by befriending them on social media.  New London County resident Dexter Enwerem, age 36, of Norwich, pleaded guilty to taking part in a scheme to defraud women through social media on Tuesday, May 23, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.  According to federal officials, between September 2019 and March 2021, a co-conspirator of Enwerem would contact multiple victims, who were mostly women, through their Facebook and Inst…
Love At First Site: Ex-NJ Couple, Nigerian Wingman Charged In $4.5M Cyberfootsies Scam Love At First Site: Ex-NJ Couple, Nigerian Wingman Charged In $4.5M Cyberfootsies Scam
Love At First Site: Ex-NJ Couple, Nigerian Wingman Charged In $4.5M Cyberfootsies Scam A former New Jersey couple and a Nigerian national scammed more than 100 lonely hearts out of $4.5 million in an elaborate online romance scheme, federal authorities charged. Martins Inalegwu, 34, of Philadelphia and Steincy Mathieu, 26, of Brooklyn cooked up the plot with Moses Chukwuebuka Alexander and several of his Nigerian brethren, an indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges. Together, they trolled online dating and social media sites for willing marks, whom they “wooed with words of love” on the phone and in emails, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. T…
Gun Runner From Maryland Sentenced For Supplying Nigerian Separatists Fighting Government: DOJ Gun Runner From Maryland Sentenced For Supplying Nigerian Separatists Fighting Government: DOJ
Gun Runner From Maryland Sentenced For Supplying Nigerian Separatists Fighting Government: DOJ A Maryland man will spend years behind bars for allegedly running illegal “ghost guns” and other weaponry from the US to Nigeria with several cohorts, federal officials announced. Fort Washington resident Eric Fru Nji, 42, has been sentenced to 63 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release for his role in a scheme to illegally transport weapons with obliterated serial numbers and smuggling firearms to Africa. In addition to his prison term, Nji was also ordered to be a $25,000 fine. His co-conspirators Wilson Nuyila Tita, 47, of Owings Mills, and Bowie resident Wi…
Investment Property In The Works for Couple After $100,000 Lottery Win Investment Property In The Works for Couple After $100,000 Lottery Win
Investment Property In The Works for Couple After $100,000 Lottery Win A pair of players are one step closer to buying an investment property after winning $100,000 in the Maryland Lottery in two lucky drawings, Maryland Lottery Officials state. The Western Baltimore County duo got their wins on two Pick 5 $1 straight bet quick-pick tickets they purchased two days apart, according to the Maryland Lottery. The Nigeria natives but now U.S. citizens are planning to purchase an investment property in Nigeria to keep close to their roots.  "God bless America!", one of the lucky winners said. The first winning ticket was purchased on Sunday, Oct. 16 and the s…
Scammer Nabbed For Swindling Garden City Homebuyer Out Of $45K, Police Say Scammer Nabbed For Swindling Garden City Homebuyer Out Of $45K, Police Say
Scammer Nabbed For Swindling Garden City Homebuyer Out Of $45K, Police Say A man accused of bilking a New York homebuyer out of tens of thousands of dollars through an email scam has been nabbed by police. Maryland resident Emeka Ndukwu, age 50, of Lanham in Prince George's County, was arraigned on Long Island on Saturday, Oct. 1, on a felony charge of grand larceny in Nassau County Court.. Working with two other individuals, prosecutors said Ndukwu, who is a dual national of the United States and Nigeria, convinced a Garden City resident to wire a total of $45,000 to a person he believed to be a real estate attorney in October 2021. Ndukwu is accused of recrui…
Jeff Bezos Blasts PA Professor Who Hoped Queen Elizabeth II's Death Was 'Excruciating' Jeff Bezos Blasts PA Professor Who Hoped Queen Elizabeth II's Death Was 'Excruciating'
Jeff Bezos Blasts PA Professor Who Hoped Queen Elizabeth II's Death Was 'Excruciating' Twitter has removed the tweet of a Carnegie Mellon professor after she wish Queen Elizabeth II "excruciating pain" while she was on her deathbed.  "I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating," Dr. Uju Anya, an associate professor of second language acquisition at the acclaimed Pittsburgh-based university tweeted on Thursday, September 8. The tweet was removed by Twitter for violating the platform's policies only after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos questioned the reason for Anya posting such a statement. "This is someone suppo…
Nigerian Fraudsters Used Romance Scam Vic To Try Stealing $13M From PA Schools: DA Nigerian Fraudsters Used Romance Scam Vic To Try Stealing $13M From PA Schools: DA
Nigerian Fraudsters Used Romance Scam Vic To Try Stealing $13M From PA Schools: DA Detectives intercepted a plan to steal more than $13 million from a Pennsylvania school district, authorities announced Friday, Aug. 26. Fraudsters in Nigeria apparently hacked the Chester Upland School District's email system in 2021 and sent emails to the Department of Education requesting a payment change, 6abc reports citing Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. A woman in Florida was apparently the victim of an online romance scam involving individuals in Nigeria, who convinced her to move the stolen money to accounts overseas, authorities said. The treasurer'…
Special Deputy US Marshal Charged In Maryland For Laundering $1.9M During Romance Scam: DOJ Special Deputy US Marshal Charged In Maryland For Laundering $1.9M During Romance Scam: DOJ
Special Deputy US Marshal Charged In Maryland For Laundering $1.9M During Romance Scam: DOJ A romantic scam artist from Upper Marlboro lured his way into nearly $2 million before being caught, authorities say. Isidore Iwuagwu, 35, has been federally charged for conspiring to commit money laundering related to multiple online relationship scams according to the Department of Justice. Iwuagwu was able to commit these crimes all while working security as a Special Deputy United States Marshal and Department of Justice contractor, prosecutors said. Iwuagwu allegedly contacted victims on social media platforms and dating sites, engaging in online relationships with them before asking …
Milton Used Car Dealer Laundered Scammers' Money Through His Business: Feds Milton Used Car Dealer Laundered Scammers' Money Through His Business: Feds
Milton Used Car Dealer Laundered Scammers' Money Through His Business: Feds A 53-year-old Milton man will spend six months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to helping scammers launder their money through his car dealership, authorities said.  Augustine Osemwegie was sentenced earlier this week, the Department of Justice said on Friday, Aug. 3. The judge also ruled that Osemwegie must pay a $5,500 fine and serve two years of supervised release.  Federal investigators said Osemwegie used his car dealership Ejad Auto Sales, along with two other associates, as a vehicle for cleaning stolen cash.  Scammers would bring their c…
Nigerian National Living In Maryland Sentenced After Running Elderly Fraud Scheme Nigerian National Living In Maryland Sentenced After Running Elderly Fraud Scheme
Nigerian National Living In Maryland Sentenced After Running Elderly Fraud Scheme A Nigerian national living in Maryland was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after running a fraud scheme that targeted the elderly, authorities say. Oluwaseyi Akinyemi, also known as “Paddy Linkin” and “Joseph Kadin,” 35, ran the social media scheme from July 2018 to April 2019, offering victims non-existent financial rewards if they sent cash, money orders, or gift cards to cover fraudulent "taxes and fees", according to the Department of Justice. Akinyemi and at least one other co-conspirator posed as real and fake government agencies and impersonated social media accounts of th…
Monkeypox Arrives In Philadelphia: Reports Monkeypox Arrives In Philadelphia: Reports
Monkeypox Arrives In Philadelphia: Reports Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles County all announced their first monkeypox cases on Thursday, June 2. The disease is normally spread by infected wild animals in Africa. There were two cases in the United States last year, both in travelers returning from Nigeria, reports said. At least two of the newest US cases involved travel. All three locations’ public health departments are awaiting confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The Hill reported.  New York City also has recorded five monkeypox cases. Philadelphia's health department said any …
COVID-19: Three More NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant COVID-19: Three More NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant
Covid-19: Three More NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant Omicron, the new strain of COVID-19 that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has now been detected in eight New York residents. On Saturday, Dec. 4, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced three more cases have been identified, two days after the state announced its first five cases. So far, the cases appear unrelated and have been confirmed through sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to the New York State Health Department.  All three of the new cases are from New York City. Nationally, a total of 23 people have been infected in 11 states: Utah, California, Minneso…
COVID-19: Number Of US Omicron Cases Now At Nine; Here's Info On Conditions Of Those Infected COVID-19: Number Of US Omicron Cases Now At Nine; Here's Info On Conditions Of Those Infected
Covid-19: Number Of US Omicron Cases Now At Nine; Here's Info On Conditions Of Those Infected Omicron, the new strain of COVID that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has now been detected in five states, with a total of nine cases. New York is the only state with multiple infections so far. Here's a rundown, with the number of cases in parentheses following the name of the state: New York (5): Four of the five infected are from New York City and the other was a 67-year-old Long Island woman who lives in Suffolk County and had recently traveled to South Africa, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced early Thursday evening, Dec. 2. All five had mild symptoms, Hoc…
COVID-19: Five NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant COVID-19: Five NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant
Covid-19: Five NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant Omicron, the new strain of COVID that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has now been detected in five New York residents. Four are from New York City and the other was a 67-year-old Long Island woman who lives in Suffolk County and had recently traveled to South Africa, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced early Thursday evening, Dec. 2. All five had mild symptoms, Hochul said.  The vaccination status has only been determined for one of the five -- the Suffolk County woman who was fully vaccinated. She tested positive on Tuesday, Nov. 30, Hochul said. Two of the other fo…
COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States
Covid-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States Omicron, the new strain of COVID that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has been detected in the United States for the first time. Health officials had been bracing for the first such Omicron case for days, and early Wedneday afternoon, Dec. 1, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention confirmed a person in California has been infected with the new strain. The San Francisco Department of Health said the individual was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Monday, Nov. 22, and tested positive for COVID on Monday, Nov. 29. The individual was fully vaccinated and experie…
COVID-19: First Cases Of New Variant Identified In North America COVID-19: First Cases Of New Variant Identified In North America
Covid-19: First Cases Of New Variant Identified In North America The new strain of COVID-19 that has caused worldwide alarm the last week has been detected in North America for the first time. Two cases of the Omicron variant were confirmed in Canada. Both were in Ottawa, Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a statement released Sunday evening, Nov. 28. The two infected people had traveled from Nigeria and have been isolated, Elliott said. The Omicron variant, whose name comes from the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, is spreading fast in Europe after the first case was identified by scientists in South Africa on Tuesday, Nov. 9. In…
Nigerian Man Named 'Godspower' Stole $1.89 Mil From Pennsylvania Women: USDOJ Nigerian Man Named 'Godspower' Stole $1.89 Mil From Pennsylvania Women: USDOJ
Nigerian Man Named 'Godspower' Stole $1.89 Mil From Pennsylvania Women: Usdoj A Nigerian man has been sentenced after being found guilty of laundering $1.89 million in a mail and wire fraud scheme that targeted Pennsylvania women, according to a release by the US Department of Justice. Jabin Godspower Okpako, 36, and his wife, Christine Bradley Okpako, 54, of Sayre, Pennsylvania, used three bank accounts in Nigeria to transfer funds out of the United States, prosecutors say according to the release. The couple targeted women, ranging in age from 55 to 85, using Instagram, Facebook, Words with Friends, and What’s App, according to the release. After cultivating onlin…
Feds: PA Man Nabbed Collecting 950 Pounds Of Khat At Newark Airport Feds: PA Man Nabbed Collecting 950 Pounds Of Khat At Newark Airport
Feds: PA Man Nabbed Collecting 950 Pounds Of Khat At Newark Airport A Pennsylvania man was arrested by federal agents when he showed up at Newark Airport to collect a half-ton of khat that was flown in by freight container, authorities said. Azeez Adebari, 46, of Harrisburg, was listed as the consignee on a manifest and other documents the claimed the contents as clothing, ground melon and pepper, among other things, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities charged Adebari with conspiring to possess and distribute 430 kilograms (948 pounds) of the illegal drug after taking him into custody at the airport on Monday…
ICE Arrests 83 In NY Area, Including Hudson Valley, In Nationwide Enforcement Operation ICE Arrests 83 In NY Area, Including Hudson Valley, In Nationwide Enforcement Operation
ICE Arrests 83 In NY Area, Including Hudson Valley, In Nationwide Enforcement Operation A total of 83 arrests were made in the New York metro area as part of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) nationwide enforcement operation in which more than 2,000 were charged. Deportation officers made arrests throughout New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and Jersey City, New Jersey. The 83 arrested were from 25 countries, including Albania, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Russia, Trinidad, a…
Feds: NJ Couple's Online Dating Scam Costs Those Looking For Love $6 Million Feds: NJ Couple's Online Dating Scam Costs Those Looking For Love $6 Million
Feds: NJ Couple's Online Dating Scam Costs Those Looking For Love $6 Million A married South Jersey couple orchestrated an online dating scam that wooed victims out of more than $6 million, federal authorities said. Martins Friday Inalegwu, 31, and his wife, Steincy Mathieu, 24, both of Burlington County’s Maple Shade, employed several accomplices – many of them living in Nigeria – to romance victims online and then take their money, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Craig Carpenito said. After making initial contact through dating and social media sites with phony identities, the thieves struck up what appeared to be romantic relationships with the victims either throug…
Hackettstown Police: Victim Of 'New Kids On The Block' Scam Is Also Perpetrator Hackettstown Police: Victim Of 'New Kids On The Block' Scam Is Also Perpetrator
Hackettstown Police: Victim Of 'New Kids On The Block' Scam Is Also Perpetrator Step by Step, Hackettstown police are working through a "New Kids on the Block" phone scam, most recently having charged a Warren County victim as a perpetrator.  Cynthia Salvadore, 42, of Mansfield, said she got a phone call from someone claiming to be Jordan Knight of the popular 1980s boy band, NorthJersey.com reports. The caller told Salvadore that he wanted to send her a $2,700 check to cash for her to donate to a charity in Nigeria, the report says. Salvadore then cashed the check at Anderson Cash Checking, deposited $2,000 into a bank account and then bought $700 worth of gift …
Trump Asked To Intercede After Secret Police Seize Bergen County Activist In Nigerian Courtroom Trump Asked To Intercede After Secret Police Seize Bergen County Activist In Nigerian Courtroom
Trump Asked To Intercede After Secret Police Seize Bergen County Activist In Nigerian Courtroom The sudden re-arrest Friday in a Nigerian courtroom of an activist and journalist from Bergen County just hours after he’d been freed on bail prompted Sen. Bob Menendez to threaten that country’s government with reprisals, while supporters implored President Trump to intercede. Twitter posts captured the chaotic federal courtroom scene in the capital of city Abuja (see video below). "New Jersey is watching, the United States is watching, and the world is watching," Menendez said Saturday morning, after Omoyele Sowore, of Haworth, was seized by members of Nigeria's Department of State Secur…
Man In US On Visa Sentenced For Raping Unconscious Victim In Jersey City Man In US On Visa Sentenced For Raping Unconscious Victim In Jersey City
Man In US On Visa Sentenced For Raping Unconscious Victim In Jersey City A Nigerian man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping an unconscious woman in his basement apartment in Jersey City, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said.  Silver Iwuchukwu, 28,  assaulted the unconscious 18-year-old woman in his basement apartment Oct. 29, 2017, authorities said. The assault was captured on surveillance video. Iwuchukwu was convicted by a jury in July.  The woman did not know Iwuchukwu before the attack, authorities also said. Iwuchukwu is a Nigerian national in the country on a student visa, NJ.com reported. He must serve at least 85 pe…
Man Involved In Phishing Scheme Targeting CT Schools Sentenced Man Involved In Phishing Scheme Targeting CT Schools Sentenced
Man Involved In Phishing Scheme Targeting CT Schools Sentenced A Nigerian national in the country on an expired visitor’s visa will be deported after being sentenced for running a scheme to steal the personal identifying information of hundreds of school employees in Connecticut. Olukayode Ibrahim Lawal, a citizen of Nigeria last living in Smyrna, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, time already served, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in December. Lawal’s arrest was made as part of a larger investigation by the FBI’s cybercrime squad in New Haven and the IRS into “phishing” emails that were sent to sever…
FBI Issues Valentine's Day Romance Scam Warning After Woman Bilked Out Of $2M FBI Issues Valentine's Day Romance Scam Warning After Woman Bilked Out Of $2M
FBI Issues Valentine's Day Romance Scam Warning After Woman Bilked Out Of $2M With love in the air on Valentine’s Day, the FBI is warning that if an online courtship seems too good to be true, it just might be. Citing an incident when a woman in her 50s was bilked out of $2 million, the FBI issued an alert on Thursday regarding romance scams, which is an Internet crime that is on the rise. 
The FBI said that “victims - predominantly older, widowed or divorced women targeted by criminal groups usually from Nigeria - are, for the most part, computer literate and educated. But they are also emotionally vulnerable. And con artists know exactly how to exploit that vulnera…
Scammed: Lodi Woman In Credit Card Debt From Bogus Facebook Lottery Scammed: Lodi Woman In Credit Card Debt From Bogus Facebook Lottery
Scammed: Lodi Woman In Credit Card Debt From Bogus Facebook Lottery A 55-year-old Lodi woman says she is in credit card debt -- and she's blaming Facebook scammers. In 2016, Kathryn Schwartz lost $1,742 attempting to claim bogus Facebook lottery winnings, according to a new report in The New York Times. She says in the article that she has been thwarting off and reporting messages from scammers ever since then. The New York Times found 205 accounts impersonating Mark Zuckerberg on both Facebook and Instagram, at least 51 of them lottery scams.  Schwartz recently received a message from an account named Mary Williams saying she would help claim her winning…
Vivian Votruba, 98, Provided Medical Care As Longtime Maryknoll Sister Vivian Votruba, 98, Provided Medical Care As Longtime Maryknoll Sister
Vivian Votruba, 98, Provided Medical Care As Longtime Maryknoll Sister Vivian Votruba, 98, a Maryknoll Sister who provided medical care in many countries for decades, died on Thursday, March 22, at the Maryknoll Sisters Center. Sister Vivian was born in Minneapolis, Minn. on Jan. 3, 1920 to Irma (Cosgrove) Votruba and August Votruba. She had two brothers, John and William, all have predeceased her. In 1937, she graduated from Villa Sancta Scholastica High School in Duluth, Minn. She attended the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. to begin the process of earning her Bachelor of Science Degree. On July 2, 1940 she entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate…