Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja and Abel Adeyi Daramola, are facing lengthy prison sentences after being convicted for their roles in a $560,000 international romance scam.
The fraud, which spanned over a year, targeted an individual in Albuquerque, New Mexico, through a fabricated online persona.
The pair, aged 39 and 37, were convicted by a federal jury after a four-day trial.
According to the Department of Justice, the scheme began in 2016 when Ogunlaja and Daramola, working alongside an unnamed accomplice, used the fake profile of “Glenn Brown” on the popular dating website eHarmony.
The victim was convinced that “Brown” was a man in need of financial support for a supposed construction project in Malaysia, which led to multiple requests for money over the course of several months.
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The victim, believing in the fake romance, sent approximately $560,000 to various accounts in the United States, Canada, and Malaysia between January 2016 and April 2017.
One notable transfer occurred on September 27, 2016, when the victim wired around $28,000 to a bank account linked to Daramola, under the name Daramola Cars.
This money was then funneled to other locations, including a seafood importer in Denmark, and a check for $14,000 was issued.
Despite Daramola’s denial of involvement, the FBI’s investigation uncovered critical evidence on his phone, including texts and WhatsApp messages connecting him to the scheme.
Ogunlaja’s role involved using his Bank of America account to receive large deposits of fraudulent funds, which he later transferred to Daramola’s account.
Both men now face a potential 20-year sentence each, with no possibility of parole in the federal system. The sentencing date has not yet been set.