Nigerian jailed in Houston for $1.3m wire fraud

Nigerian Wiseman Oputa, living in
Texas, United States has been jailed for
three years by a federal judge in
Houston.
The 25-year-old had pleaded guilty to a
$1.3million wire fraud in April, using
fake passports and romance schemes.
Investigators said Oputa used
counterfeit passports to open bank
accounts in the Houston area. The
passports had his photo but different
names and identification.
Prosecutors said he then then lured
online victims into sending money to
those accounts.
The scams ranged from bogus business
deals and romance offers to false
reports of money won and taxes
needing to be paid to acquire the
winnings.
Along with restitution, Oputa also will
face deportation proceedings when he
leaves prison.
Here was the statement issued by US
Attorney’s Office, Southern District of
Texas, outlining the case against Oputa:
A 25-year-old Nigerian man who was
residing in Houston has pleaded guilty
to perpetuating a wire fraud scheme
involving various Internet scams,
announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe
Martinez.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, until Jan. 25,
2017, Oputa used counterfeit passports
to open bank accounts in the greater
Houston area. The passports contained
photographs of Oputa but had different
names and identification information.
He then worked with others to lure
victims into sending money into these
bank accounts. These funds were
obtained through a variety of internet
scams, including business email
compromise, romance schemes and
unauthorised intrusions into company
email accounts. Checks or wire transfers
were then sent from the company’s
accounts payable to accounts Oputa or
others controlled. Oputa would then use
the counterfeit passports to retrieve the
fraudulently obtained funds.
In one instance in December 2016,
Oputa opened an account at Regions
Bank with a counterfeit Ghanaian
passport as identification. Shortly
thereafter the account received a wire
transfer of $40,000 from a victim who
had been told to send money for taxes
on money he had won in Spain. USAA
Bank identified the fraudulent and was
able to recal the wire.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett
accepted the guilty plea and has set
sentencing for July 6, 2017. At that time,
Oputa faces up to 20 years in federal
prison and a possible $250,000
maximum fine. He will remain in
custody pending that hearing.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service
conducted the investigation along with
Department of State – Diplomatic
Security Service and the Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady
is prosecuting the case.