A 35-year-old Nigerian, Olamide Shanu, has pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiracy to commit money laundering after participating in s+xtortion and romance fraud schemes that defra¥ded approximately 150 Americans.
According to the US Department of Justice, Shanu pleaded guilty on Monday in the District of Idaho and made more than $2.5 million from the schemes with his co-conspirators.
In the s+xtortion scheme, the conspirators targeted male victims, persuaded them to send s+xual images and then threatened to share the images with their friends and family unless they paid money.
They also targeted older women and men through romance scams, using fake identities on social media to establish deceptive emotional relationships before asking victims for money over supposed urgent financial needs.
The proceeds were la¥ndered through peer to peer payment apps and cryptocurrency wallets before being transferred to co-conspirators in Nigeria.
“This case exposes a sophisticated international scheme that exploited Americans through s+xtortion and romance fraud, laundering millions in criminal proceeds,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said.
US Attorney Bart M. Davis said, “This guilty plea, involving more than $2.5 million in laundered proceeds, reflects the dedicated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners to disrupt international criminal networks, protect victims, and ensure that cyber enabled crime does not go unanswered.”
Shanu, who was extradited to the US, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal judge will determine his sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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