US arraigns 11 Nigerians over fresh $6m fraud

Barely two weeks after the United States

indicted six Nigerians for their alleged involvement in over $ 6 m internet fraud, 11 more Nigerians have been arraigned over another $ 6 m bank fraud.

According to a statement by the US Attorney ’ s Office , District of New Jersey , the defendants are Sulaiman Dosunmu , 39 ; Tunde Adeowo , 40 ; Muritala Adeowo , 55 ; Ayanniyi Alayande, 47 ; Ahmmed Ponle , 41 ; Margiettu Kamu , 34 ; Rafiat Sarumi , 36 ; Babatunde Oke , 40 ; Adekunle Owolabi , 49 ; Olayinka Olaseinde , 42 ; and Olugbenga Oyedele , 47 .

They were charged for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud in Southern New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania over the course of four years , US Attorney , Craig Carpenito said .

The suspects , said to have swindled hundreds of victims through accounts domiciled in American banks including Wells Fargo , were arraigned on multiple counts such as fraud, forgery , amongst others .

Their charge sheet partly read , “ The defendants are allegedly members of a Nigeria- based , multi - layered organization that engaged in a massive bank fraud conspiracy in several states , including New Jersey , Pennsylvania , Maryland and Rhode Island, between June 2016 and March 2020 

“ Members of the group stole numerous business checks from the United States mail, altered the payee on the checks to a fraudulent name and deposited the checks in bank accounts that had been opened with forged foreign passport documents and fraudulent US visas that matched the names on the stolen checks .