NewStats: 3,265,164 , 8,185,853 topics. Date: Friday, 13 June 2025 at 05:25 PM 1y2y5t

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Maryland

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Three Nigerian Nationals Facing Federal Charges Related to a Fraud Scheme With Losses of More Than $6 Million

First Defendant Extradited to the United States Arrived on April 12, 2023

Greenbelt, Maryland – The first of three defendants, Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, age 29, has been extradited from Canada to the United States to face a federal indictment, and is scheduled to have his initial appearance on Friday, April 14, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amjel Quereshi.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Simon-Ebo, James Junior Aliyu, a/k/a “Old Soldier,” and “Ghost,” age 28 and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, age 31, all Nigerian citizens residing in South Africa, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering and for wire fraud and money laundering charges related to a business email compromise (“BEC”) scheme with losses of more than $6 million. The indictment was returned on June 24, 2019, and unsealed on July 6, 2022, upon the defendants’ arrests outside the United States.

The indictment was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the U.S. Secret Service - Washington Field Office.

According to the seven-count indictment, from February 2016 until at least July 2017, the defendants conspired with others to perpetrate a BEC scheme. Specifically, the indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators, including co-conspirators residing in Maryland, gained unauthorized access to email s associated with individuals and businesses targeted by the conspirators. The co-conspirators then allegedly sent false wiring instructions to the victims’ email s from “spoofed” emails, which are emails with forged sender addresses, to deceive the victims into sending money to bank s controlled by perpetrators of the scheme, called “drop s.”

The indictment also alleges that the defendants conspired to commit money laundering by disbursing the fraudulently obtained funds in the drop s to other s by initiating transfers, withdrawing cash, obtaining cashier’s checks and by writing checks to other individuals and entities, to hide the true ownership and the source of those assets. For example, defendant Aliyu is alleged to have made a $350,000 wire transfer from one of the drop s in Maryland to an he controlled in South Africa, knowing that the funds were the proceeds of a crime and that the transaction was designed to conceal the nature, source and ownership of those funds. Finally, the defendants are charged with wire fraud, related to the BEC scheme. Specifically, Simon-Ebo is charged in three wire fraud counts involving $6,343,533.10 in victim funds being wired to s controlled by conspirators.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy, for the money laundering conspiracy, and for each count of wire fraud. If convicted, Aliyu also faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for money laundering. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI’s Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/three-nigerian-nationals-facing-federal-charges-related-fraud-scheme-losses-more-6

Three Nigerians Indicted Over $6m Fraud In US

The seven-count indictment involves the defendants conspiring with others to perpetrate a BEC scheme.

By Ignatius Igwe
Updated April 14, 2023

The United States has charged three Nigerians with money laundering and a fraud scheme with more than $6 million in losses.

The Nigerians – 29-year-old Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, James Junior Aliyu aged 28 and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, aged 31 – are accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering related to a business email compromise (BEC) scheme with losses of more than $6 million.

One of them is being extradited from Canada to the U.S. to face a federal indictment on Friday, April 14 in a U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, MD.

In a statement on Thursday, the US Department of Justice said the seven-count indictment involves the defendants conspiring with others to perpetrate a BEC scheme.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators, including co-conspirators residing in the state of Maryland, gained unauthorised access to email s associated with individuals and businesses targeted by the conspirators.

It was gathered that the co-conspirators then allegedly sent false wiring instructions to the victims’ email s from “spoofed” emails, which are emails with forged sender addresses, to deceive the victims into sending money to bank s controlled by perpetrators of the scheme, called “drop s”.

The indictment also alleges that the defendants conspired to commit money laundering by disbursing the fraudulently obtained funds in the drop s to other s by initiating transfers, withdrawing cash, obtaining cashier’s checks and by writing checks to other individuals and entities, to hide the true ownership and the source of those assets.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy, for the money laundering conspiracy, and for each count of wire fraud, the US justice department said.

https://www.channelstv.com/2023/04/14/three-nigerians-indicted-over-6m-fraud-in-us/

More.

https://twitter.com/USAO_MD/status/1646627798306439169

We're the best of both worlds; if you're looking for the best of the best, na we. Also if you dey find worst of the worst, na we.

Shoutout to all responsible Nigerians doing us proud home and abroad. You rock!

naptu2:
3

4. 😁

I'm just thinking, the crime was committed outside the U.S, but the perpetrators were extradited to the U.S to face trial.

I wonder if it was a U.S citizen that commits a crime outside the U.S, if the U.S will gladly extradite that citizen to the country where the crime was committed to gave trial. 🤔🤔🤔

Name checked ✔️✔️✔️ and confirmed...awon ni

Wow.

These guys no de tire? Eventually, you will still be caught. Why then go into it?

You do the crime, you do the time.


I'm still your best plug for most affordable smartwatch and goodies you can get. Check my signature.

Hmmm

Just imagine if they had been successful.
Na dem go dey blow onye billionaire cash everywhere.
What a disgrace

3 major tribes repping

Nigerians should stop this criminal acts abeg

Name checking stay off the thread!

Why can't these guys channel their energy to legit stuffs?

They are just tarnishing Nigeria's already battered reputation abroad.

Q

The truth is if this guys were successful

Once the enter Nigeria and flex money
People will worship them
Even Bishop will come and bless their new house.
Dem Mama's will be showering them blessings and hailing them.
They will give them standing ovation inside church for their donation.
They will be walking around with security and convoy.

This life is funny

naptu2:


https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/three-nigerian-nationals-facing-federal-charges-related-fraud-scheme-losses-more-6

Name ✔️✅ checkers over to you.




Without much Ado I know tribe that would be involved without reading.

ShaqFu:


I'm just thinking, the crime was committed outside the U.S, but the perpetrators were extradited to the U.S to face trial.

I wonder if it was a U.S citizen that commits a crime outside the U.S, if the U.S will gladly extradite that citizen to the country where the crime was committed to gave trial.

There is something called extradition treaty.

Bad

naptu2:


https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/three-nigerian-nationals-facing-federal-charges-related-fraud-scheme-losses-more-6

Name checkers favourite post.

Ee

ShaqFu:
4. 😁

I'm just thinking, the crime was committed outside the U.S, but the perpetrators were extradited to the U.S to face trial.

I wonder if it was a U.S citizen that commits a crime outside the U.S, if the U.S will gladly extradite that citizen to the country where the crime was committed to gave trial. 🤔🤔🤔

US citizens were defrauded.

always dem, coneheaded structures

Amazing stuff.
WAZOBIA on the beats

You reside in South Africa, commit crimes, instigate xenophobia, instigate taint image tarnish on Nigeria, but your voice is loudest against Nigeria when it's all fine.

Kudos o. Wehdone. Na you be that, na God be that, na nemesis be that.

Don't just say Nigerians


Tell us their tribe lol...

WA ZO BIA

Omoo

HNIC'S