Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, are facing up to 20 years in a United States prison after being convicted for orchestrating a romance scam worth $560,000. The verdict came after a four-day trial and just under three hours of jury deliberation.
Details of the Conviction
In a statement issued on Monday evening and obtained by FRONTPAGE Metro on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced the convictions. The Department of Justice revealed that Ogunlaja and Daramola, along with other accomplices, carried out the fraudulent scheme under the guise of a fabricated identity, “Glenn Brown.”
How the Scheme Worked
The scam began in January 2016 when the defendants created a profile under the name “Glenn Brown” on the dating website eHarmony.com. Using this fake persona, they developed a romantic relationship with a victim in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Over time, the defendants convinced the victim to send approximately $560,000, claiming the funds were needed to complete a construction project in Malaysia and to ensure “Glenn Brown’s” safe return to the U.S.
The victim was manipulated into wiring money to various accounts across the United States, Canada, and Malaysia between January 2016 and April 2017. One transaction, conducted on September 27, 2016, saw the victim transfer $28,000 to a Woodforest Bank account in the name of Daramola Cars. Daramola then redirected $18,000 to a seafood importer in Denmark and issued a $14,000 check.
Evidence of Guilt
Daramola denied any involvement in the scam. However, investigators discovered incriminating text and WhatsApp messages on his phone, proving his role in providing bank accounts for fraudulent activities. Meanwhile, Ogunlaja was found to have used his Bank of America account to receive funds obtained through the scam. Specific instructions from “Glenn Brown” led the victim to deposit $20,000 into Ogunlaja’s account in two installments on March 9 and March 15, 2016. Ogunlaja then withdrew the funds and transferred them to Daramola’s account.
Related Convictions
This case is not an isolated incident. FRONTPAGE Metro reported on November 26, 2024, that two other Nigerians, Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, were sentenced to a combined 30 years in prison for defrauding U.S. citizens of $3.5 million. Their scam involved convincing victims that they needed to pay fees to access large inheritances.
Implications of the Conviction
The convictions of Ogunlaja and Daramola serve as a warning against online fraud and highlight the persistent efforts of U.S. authorities to bring perpetrators to justice. As romance scams continue to prey on vulnerable individuals, law enforcement agencies are intensifying their efforts to dismantle such schemes and prosecute those responsible.
These cases underscore the importance of public awareness about online scams and the need for vigilance in online relationships to avoid falling victim to deceitful schemes.
