Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, revealed that a superseding indictment was issued by a grand jury on January 23, 2024. The indictment charges Nigerian citizens John Umukoro, Shedrack Umukoro, and Otaniyen Iduozee with conspiracy to commit wire fraud under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349; wire fraud under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343; and conspiracy to commit money laundering under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956.
According to court documents filed, the accused were involved in an elaborate scheme between November 2021 and May 2022, aimed at fraudulently acquiring and laundering money from American citizens who believed they were providing loans to their romantic partners.
The court filings reveal that the defendants assumed false identities as older men seeking connections on dating websites, establishing text-based romantic relationships with older women. Once trust was established, they exploited their victims by requesting “loans” for purported urgent and short-term financial needs.
However, as per court records, the so-called “loans” were never repaid, resulting in multiple victims losing their life savings. The defendants allegedly laundered the obtained funds through a series of transactions before transferring them overseas.
If convicted, each offense carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison, along with up to three years of supervised release.
The Department of Homeland Security spearheaded the investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Taibleson set to prosecute the case.
It is important for the public to note that an indictment or criminal complaint represents a charge, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.