Alleged Nigerian Ringleader of International Investment Scam Charged with Fraud, Money Laundering
and Identity Theft

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

A Nigerian national was charged in court documents unsealed today for his role as the alleged
ringleader of an international advance-fee scheme that allegedly involved false promises of
investment funding by individuals who impersonated U.S. bank officials in person and over the
internet to victims around the world, who were told they had to make certain payments before they
could supposedly receive their funding.  Proceeds of the scheme were allegedly laundered through
U.S. bank accounts and diverted back to the scheme's perpetrators in Nigeria.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division,
U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K.
Turner of the FBI's Houston Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Robert Smolich of the U.S.
Department of State Office of Inspector General made the announcement. 

Osondu Victor Igwilo, 49, of Lagos, Nigeria, was charged in a complaint filed in the Southern
District of Texas in December 2016 and unsealed today.  The complaint charges Igwilo with one
count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of
aggravated identity theft.  Igwilo remains a fugitive.

As alleged in the complaint, Igwilo was the leader of a criminal network of "catchers," who
sent phishing emails to potential victims falsely offering investment funding on behalf of BB&T
Corporation, a U.S. bank headquartered in North Carolina.  When victims were interested in the
supposed investment funding, Igwilo allegedly dispatched U.S. citizens whom he had recruited over
the internet to pose as "representatives" of BB&T to meet in person with the victims and sign
a supposed investment agreement on behalf of BB&T.  When traveling to the countries where the
victims resided, these representatives, at Igwilo's direction, would visit the local U.S.
embassy or consulate and employ fake documents with fraudulent seals of the U.S. government to
deceive the victims into believing that the investment agreement was sponsored by the U.S.
government, the complaint alleges.  Igwilo then allegedly used the representatives and catchers
to convince victims to make wire payments to bank accounts in the United States on the false
belief that such payments were necessary to effectuate the investment agreements.  The holders of
the U.S. bank accounts were "money movers," who disposed of the funds as directed by Igwilo,
including by purchasing luxury vehicles, from brands such as Mercedes Benz and Range Rover, and
shipping them to Nigeria, the complaint alleges.

Uche Diuno, 52, also of Lagos, was charged in a separate case in a second superseding indictment
filed on Oct. 3, 2018 with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of money laundering
conspiracy and one count of concealment money laundering.  Diuno was arrested in Paris, France on
Sept. 29, 2018 and is awaiting extradition.

As alleged in the second superseding indictment, Diuno was a "chairman" or leader in the
scheme, who operated his own network of catchers and money movers alongside Igwilo's, which he
used in furtherance of the same BB&T investment scam. 

Seven other individuals have been charged to date as part of the same investigation including Uju
Okigbo, 49, of Houston, Texas, an alleged money mover;

Chioma Okafor, 29, of Houston, an alleged money mover; Marita Ranalan Underwood, 62, of Manila,
Philippines, an alleged representative; John Christian Rutledge, 65, of Yaphank, New York, an
alleged representative; Osa May Martin, 69, of Carthage, Missouri, an alleged representative;
Tochukwu Nwosisi, 47, of Indianapolis, Indiana, an alleged money mover and Tiffany Sourjohn, 48,
of Miami, Oklahoma, an alleged representative.

Okigbo, Okafor, Rutledge and Sourjohn have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.  Underwood
remains a fugitive.  Martin and Nwosisi are pending trial.     

The charges in the complaint and second superseding indictment are merely allegations, and the
defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case was investigated by the FBI and Department of State Office of Inspector General.  The
case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division's Fraud
Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady of the Southern District of Texas. 
Forfeiture aspects of the case are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristine Rollinson of
the Southern District of Texas.

