Nigerian Man Arrested in US Over Alleged Fraud Scheme Targeting Elderly Americans

A 34-year-old Nigerian man, Adetunji Abudu, has been arrested at an airport in the United States over his alleged involvement in a fraud and money-laundering scheme targeting elderly Americans.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island said Abudu, who is from Lagos, was arrested at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, while attempting to enter the country from Istanbul, Turkey.

According to a statement published on Monday, Abudu is among six defendants named in a superseding indictment alleging that millions of dollars obtained through fraud schemes operated from Nigeria were laundered through bank accounts and businesses in the United States.

The indictment alleges that the schemes targeted elderly Americans through online romance scams, fraudulent sweepstakes, fake rental listings and sham online shipping transactions.

Prosecutors said money obtained from victims was allegedly channelled through accounts and businesses in Rhode Island, Idaho and other locations, with significant proceeds eventually transferred to Nigeria. Members of the alleged conspiracy were also accused of purchasing vehicles with the proceeds and shipping them overseas.

The US Attorney’s Office said Abudu left the United States for Nigeria in 2019 after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) carried out a court-authorised search of his residence in North Providence.

Five other defendants named in the case — Dotun Olawale Alonge, Oluwaseyi Akintol, Samson Ikotun, Olabode Shaba and Oladipup Shodipu — have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the statement. Their sentences reportedly ranged from time served to 42 months in prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney John P. McAdams. Investigators include the FBI, with assistance from the US Postal Inspection Service and police departments in Tallmadge, Ohio, and Moscow, Idaho.

The US Attorney’s Office emphasised that an indictment contains allegations and does not establish guilt. Abudu is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.