Uchenna Christian Nlemchi, a Nigerian national, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay $524,000 in restitution, along with a money judgment of $868,295. His sentencing follows his involvement in a hybrid romance scam and business email compromise scheme.
Nlemchi was extradited from Hungary to the United States last year. In the federal system, there is no parole.
The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, on Thursday, June 6, 2024.
The Scheme Unveiled
According to court documents, the scheme began in July 2015. A co-conspirator initiated a romance scam with a 56-year-old widow in New Mexico, using the alias "Sean Bartlett." Posing as an engineer with lucrative oil contracts, he convinced the victim to send money for supposed business expenses, promising marriage in return.
On September 13, 2015, Nlemchi opened a personal bank account at Amegy Bank. Sixteen days later, he opened a fraudulent business account under the name "Jay Auto & Machine Parts," listing himself as the sole owner.
Following instructions from his co-conspirator, the victim transferred over $375,000 into accounts controlled by Nlemchi, including significant sums from her retirement savings and a home equity loan. Transfers included $45,000 on October 7th to another person's account, $35,000 directly to "Jay Auto & Machine Parts" on October 9th, $125,346 from her and her late husband's IRA accounts on October 22nd, and $170,000 from a home equity loan on December 7th.
Further Fraudulent Activities
In late 2015, a German citizen attempting to purchase a Miami condo fell victim to fraudulent wire instructions after her attorney's email was hacked. She inadvertently wired money intended for the condo purchase to the New Mexico victim’s account. Following further instructions, the New Mexico victim forwarded over $200,000 of those funds to Nlemchi’s accounts.
Nlemchi rapidly withdrew and transferred over $868,000 from the "Jay Auto & Machine Parts" account, sourced from the New Mexico victim and other fraud proceeds. He abandoned the fraudulent accounts on February 29, 2016, as bank investigators closed in.
At the time, Nlemchi was in the U.S. on a student visa, attending Texas Southern University. Arrested in Houston, Texas in 2017, he was released on electronic monitoring and ordered to surrender his passport. However, Nlemchi escaped from his monitoring system, fleeing to Mexico, then Brazil, and finally returning to Nigeria. He remained an international fugitive for over five years until his arrest in Hungary in 2023.
Legal Proceedings
In February 2024, Nlemchi pleaded guilty in federal court to one count each of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Following his imprisonment, Nlemchi will serve three years of supervised release and will be subject to deportation proceedings.
The case was investigated by the FBI's Albuquerque Division, with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department during the extradition process. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case.
No comments:
Post a Comment