Court sentenced a 36-year-old Nigerian to 87 months in prison for a $1.89 million fraud scheme

Jabin Godspower Okpako, 36, was sentenced to 87 months in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann on November 23, 2021, for conspiring to launder approximately $1.89 million in mail and wire fraud proceeds, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

According to US Attorney John C. Gurganus, Jabin Okpako and his wife, Christine Bradley Okpako, 54, of Sayre, Pennsylvania, received approximately $1,898,046 million in proceeds from a mail and wire fraud scheme, laundered the funds through numerous bank and wire transactions in multiple states, and transferred the funds out of the US to three separate bank accounts in Nigeria.

The mail and wire fraud scheme aimed to defraud a number of female victims ranging in age from 55 to 85 across the United States.

Instagram, Facebook, Words with Friends, and What’s App were among the victims’ favourite online game, relationship, and dating sites.

The conspirators, who were based in the United States and West Africa, befriended the victims through text and instant messaging interactions and photo exchanges on the web sites.

After cultivating online relationships with the victims, the conspirators duped them into sending and transmitting funds for fictitious reasons and purposes, such as assisting an Alaskan worker who fell from a tower, purchasing an apartment in Washington, D.C., assisting the United Nations, repairing machinery and equipment on an oil drilling rig, paying for medicine, recovering a $6 million inheritance, and making a gold investment.

The unindicted conspirators instructed the victims to send checks and cash to Okpako and Bradley at their home in Sayre, Pennsylvania, after duping them into providing funds for these fictitious reasons.

Chief Judge Brann stated in sentencing Okpako that despite numerous banks closing their accounts due to the suspicious and irregular nature of the transactions, Okpako and his wife continued to transfer fraud proceeds to Nigeria.

Despite receiving a warning letter from the FBI about their activities, Okpako and his wife continued to conduct money laundering transfers, according to Chief Judge Brann.

Chief Judge Brann ordered Okpako to pay victims $440,950 in restitution and forfeit the proceeds of the criminal activity.

Christin Bradley Okpako pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money through mail and wire fraud on March 31, 2021, and is awaiting sentencing.

The FBI looked into the situation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney George J. Rocktashel.