Court Jails Man 18 Months For Romance Scam
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Lagos Zonal Office, has secured the conviction and sentencing of one Iweregbu Daniel Chima to 18 months imprisonment before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
The convict, who created many social media accounts and presented himself as Larry Pham, had defrauded his unsuspecting victims, mostly females, online to the tune of $166,000 between July 2017 and June 2018.
He was arraigned on December 4, 2020 on a three-count charge bordering on cheating, obtaining by false pretence and retention of proceeds of crime, following a report received by the Commission from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI, about his involvement in computer-related fraud.
He pleaded “guilty” to the charge preferred against him during his arraignment.
In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala Buhari, urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Delivering her judgment, Justice Taiwo convicted and sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N300, 000.00.
The defendant was ordered to pay the sum of $15,000 in favour of the United States Consulate, being refund of part of the money he had unlawfully benefitted.