A United
States Middle District Court sitting in Pennsylvania has sentenced three
Nigerians to four years imprisonment for their roles in a fraudulent
telemarketing scheme.
The
Nigerians, Christian Nwosu(41); Alexander Ojiri (53) and Kennedy Onaiwu
(42), were charged as part of an investigation into fraudulent
telemarketing schemes using MoneyGram and Western Union money transfer
systems.
U.S.
Attorney Peter Smith said Nwosu and Onaiwu were MoneyGram and Western
Union agents who allowed fraud-induced money transfers, and Ojiri served
as a middleman between the agents and fraudulent mass marketers.
He added
that the cases were part of an ongoing investigation which has so far
resulted in charges against 28 people and the uncovering of $13.5
million in reported losses to fraud victims.
The three
were charged with mail and wire fraud and later pleaded guilty. The
court also ordered the three to pay restitution totaling more than $2.7
million.
