Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, have been convicted in the United States for their roles in a romance scam that defrauded a victim of approximately $560,000. They now face a combined maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, Alexander Uballez, and FBI Special Agent in Charge, Raul Bujanda, announced the convictions in a statement released by the Department of Justice. The verdict followed a four-day trial, with the jury reaching its decision in less than three hours.
Scheme Details
The scam, which began in January 2016, involved creating a fake persona, “Glenn Brown,” on the dating website eHarmony.com. Ogunlaja and Daramola collaborated with an accomplice who used the fictitious identity to build a romantic relationship with the victim, a resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The victim was manipulated into believing that financial assistance was needed for “Glenn Brown” to complete a construction project in Malaysia and return to the United States. Between January 2016 and April 2017, the victim sent funds to various accounts in the U.S., Canada, and Malaysia.
Financial Transactions
Evidence presented in court revealed that on September 27, 2016, the victim wired $28,000 to a Woodforest Bank account under the name “Daramola Cars” at the fraudster’s instruction. Daramola transferred $18,000 to a seafood importer in Denmark and issued a $14,000 check.
The FBI investigation found extensive WhatsApp and text correspondence on Daramola’s phone, implicating him in providing bank accounts for various fraud schemes. Ogunlaja’s role included receiving fraudulent funds into his Bank of America account, with deposits totaling $20,000 in March 2016, which were later withdrawn or transferred to Daramola’s account.
Sentencing Pending
The court has ordered Ogun
