A Nigerian and U.S. Justice Department contractor, who is resident in Maryland, U.S., 35-year-old Isodore Iwuagwu, is facing trial in court over alleged money laundering and online romance scams to the tune of $1.9 million.
Iwuagwu of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was hauled up in the U.S. District Court on Wednesday charged with defrauding more than 20 people majority of whom are senior citizens.
Persecondnews learnt that Iwuagwu, a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal, may be jailed for 20 years on conviction for charges of conspiracy and money laundering.
According to Prosecutors, Iwuagwu controlled about 30 financial accounts, received about $1.65 million in wire transfers from 119 individuals, and about $1.138 million in other deposits.
The prosecutors alleged that in one case, a victim sent more than $300,000 to someone she thought was the attorney for a supposed Major General in the U.S. Army but the money went to Iwuagwu’s account.
“In another case, a victim sent nearly $52,000 to someone she thought was a doctor.
“Iwuagwu is accused of wiring more than $1.5 million from his accounts, $200,000 of which went to a Nigerian company, and withdrawing over $500,000 through ATM and cash withdrawals,’’ they further alleged.
Iwuagwu, as a Justice Department contractor who does security work for the agency’s facilities, is accused of playing a role in a romance scam over the course of more than five years.
Between October 2015 and July 2021, individuals struck up relationships with victims online by posing as U.S. service members who were in financial binds.
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