Three Nigerians living in the United States—Olumide Olorunfunmi, Samson Amos, and Emmanuel Unuigbe—are facing up to 20 years in prison each for allegedly laundering $4.5 million.
The U.S. Department of Justice disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the three conspired to launder the funds, which resulted in financial losses for more than 125 victims. The money was reportedly acquired through romance scams and business email compromise schemes.
While Amos and Unuigbe pleaded guilty to the charges in 2023, Olorunfunmi admitted his involvement during a federal court hearing on Friday.
The Justice Department’s statement outlined:
“Olorunfunmi, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to money laundering, acknowledging his role in laundering millions tied to criminal activities, such as romance scams and business email fraud. The scams led to over 125 victims transferring more than $4.5 million.”
The statement further revealed that the victims were instructed to deposit funds into accounts controlled by Amos and his co-conspirators, who then transferred the money to Nigeria. The funds were exchanged at a “black market” rate for Nigerian Naira.
Court documents also showed that Olorunfunmi and his associates kept a portion of the money for themselves. The illegal activities took place between 2020 and 2023.
Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. Sentencing dates are yet to be announced.
