Nigerian caught in US over N163 million fraud agrees to repay N79 million to victims

A Nigerian resident in the United States has pleaded guilty to receiving over N163 million (nearly $400,000) stolen from victims of fraud this week.

Augustine Amechi conspired with others who convinced romance fraud victims to send money for a variety of false and fraudulent reasons to bank accounts controlled by him between 2018 and 2021.

The money received by the 24-year-old was sent through bank wire transfers, Western Union, Moneygram, money orders, and cashier's checks.

A student of Marshall University at the time, Amechi would typically keep some of the stolen money for himself and forward some to others.

"Amechi transferred more than $15,000 to bank accounts in Nigeria," the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia, said in a statement.

He has agreed to repay at least N79 million ($192,762) as restitution to his victims.

The defendant faces a maximum of 10 years in prison when he is sentenced next March.