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The Onyendu Ndigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, High Chief Alloy Obi, has described the late President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuayanwu, as an amazing leader who worked very hard to transform the socio-cultural association.

High Chief Obi stated this in a press statement titled, AN IROKO AT THE HEART OF IGBO NATION HAS FALLEN.

 ''Ndigbo in Oyo state were saddened and have not come to terms with the shocking and sudden transition of an Iroko, an icon, an entrepreneur of international repute, a tested politician, a pillar of sports, a philanthropist, and above all, the President General, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuayanwu (Ahaejiagamba). Ndigbo felt the transformational impact of his 15 months on the saddle of Ohaneze Ndigbo leadership. He was simply amazing. Ndigbo has recorded an irreparable loss at a time that was at its peak of repositioning Ohaeze Ndigbo to an enviable height among other socio-cultural organizations in the country.''

''Our solace is that Ahaejiagamba has left a blueprint for Ndigbo as a guide towards greatness as a nation. Ndigbo in Oyo state condole with his immediate family, Imo state and the entire Igbo nation,'' High Chief Obi concluded.

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The government and private school owners have been advised to  motivate teachers with attractive salaries.

This advice was given by  a former official of  the Oyo state wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT),Comrade Olu Abiala on Thursday during the 2023 World Teachers' Day celebration organized by the NUT in badan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

''Public and private school owners need to invest more in teachers' wages and salaries to motivate  teachers to give their best for the development of Nigeria tomorrow. The vision of growth  and development within the time-frame can only  be achieved in Nigeria with the appropriate manpower, and in adequate quantity and quality. Only sincere commitment to investment in the teachers, today in terms of a comprehensive welfare package, can make that dream come true tomorrow.''

In his remarks, the chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Raji Oladimeji  called on the state government to urgently address the issue of shortage of teachers in primary schools in the state.

''May I present the following humble request to teachers for prompt attention and approval from Your Excellency : Urgent  recruitment of qualified and competent teachers to fill the important vacancies in our primary schools across the state'', Comrade Oladimeji stated.

The Minister of Health has been advised  to ensure the renovation and rehabilitation of obsolete and moribund health facilities in government-owned hospitals  across the country.

This advice was given by a member of the National Executive Council(NEC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU), who doubles as the  branch chairman of the union at the  University College Hospital(UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria, Comrade Kehinde Abiona.

''The Minister of Health needs to look inwards and ensure that the moribund facilities that are the health sector are revived. Since the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration carried out the only major facility upgrade  in 2005, nothing has been done by successive administrations. It is almost about two decades since the major overhaul has been done.''

Comrade Abiona also called on the Minister to ignore  the agitation for the privatization  of government-owned hospitals saying, ''such agitation will not allow him to end up well.''

The NASU chairman maintained that the Minister should  remain  neutral in the affairs of the health sector workers, adding, ''he should not be a Minister of  Medical Doctors, but the Minister of all.''

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Workers in the Federal civil service and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies have expressed their readiness to proceed on an indefinite strike should the Federal Government refuse to accede to the demands of the Nigeria Labor Congress. 

The workers made this position known in a Press Release titled, FEDERAL WORKERS ARE READY FOR THE INDEFINITE STRIKE ACTION AND TOTAL SHUT DOWN. WORKERS HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH and signed by the National coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum(FWF) and former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Once again, federal government workers are ready for the indefinite strike action and we are looking onto the NLC/TUC to rescue the Nigerian people from this untold hardship. However, if the NLC tarry further, the Federal Workers Forum will not hesitate to call all our members nationwide to perpetual protest.

''Our demand is simply a fair wage.Our government must stop acting as if they don't have a conscience. The government should stop playing games in the lives of people. Nigerian workers are no slaves,we are not beggars, we are public sector workers,we are citizens and we deserve to be treated fairly as a matter of right. Enough of the hide and seek game over the welfare of the federal workers. The present wage is shamefully too poor and it is not taking us home. This would be an embarrassment to the federal government of Nigeria. The FG should weigh the implications of workers' poor wages for overall effectiveness of productivity and society at large.''

''We call on the TUC to rethink her strategy and do the workers' bidding. All efforts must be made to ensure synergy among our labour centers. The obvious divergent views are that over methodology by the NLC and the TUC are not in the interest of the toiling workers. None of the labour centers should be allowed to be used as a clog in the wheel of progress. ''

''The general consensus among workers is that the TUC has been compromised. It is now left to the TUC to prove otherwise as we are all preparing for the indefinite strike action. We call on the NLC/TUC to make this strike action the mother of all strikes. The Nigerian workers and indeed Nigerians must not be betrayed by labour. Our people have suffered enough.'' the release concluded.

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The Oyo state Government has been advised to ensure that its intervention in the present hardships and difficulties confronting Nigerians cuts across all social, political, economic and religious divides. 

This advice was handed down on Wednesday by a former councilor of the Ibadan South East Local Government council, Honorable Tunde Yusuf.

'' The Oyo state government must ensure that all those who will receive the palliatives it plans to distribute are not only its supporters, well wishers, admirers and loyalists, but also indigenes and residents who are also Nigerians,'' Honorable Yusuf stated.

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The Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU) has accused some members of the the management team of University College Hospital of deliberately facilitating the postponement of the union's elections.

The NASU made this accusation through its chairman Comrade Kehinde Abiona. ''Some elements in the management of the hospital had a hand in the postponement of the union's elections. We were supposed to have the delegates/departmental election on Wednesday 2nd August and the major elections on Thursday 3rd August, but the Chief Security Officer of the hospital met me and told me that the management had decided to put the elections on hold. Comrade Abiona picked holes in the letter written to the union by the management saying''there are a number of actions that have been taken without the knowledge of the Chief Medical Director.'' ''Heads of Departments do not have any role to play in the election of delegates in the departments. The majority of the HODs are not members of our union. They do not have any role to pay in the electoral process. Since they are not members, they should not influence the electoral process. The management directed that elections should be put on hold until further notice to allow for the implementation of the report of the technical committee established to look into the immediate and remote causes of the union's March 15 elections that were disrupted,'' Comrade Abiona stated.

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The Nigerian Legion has declared that it has the capacity to secure schools in Oyo state.

 This declaration was made by the Deputy Commandant General  and  chair of Legion, Evangelist Julius Ogunjoko. ''Learning can only take place in a secure environment. Pupils and students must have a hundred per cent security in their schools. The security of our children should be of paramount importance. We have written several letters to the Oyo state Government in this respect. We will continue to remind the government, once we have the approval we are ready and have the capacity to secure both public and private schools in the state, Evangelist Ogunkojo stated.

Nigerian National Extradited from South Africa for Cyber Fraud Scheme Targeting Tulsa Company

Spoofed Email Led to Fraudulent Shipment of $400,000 in Surface Pro Tablets

TULSA, Okla. – Sunday Daniel Ganyo, 37, a Nigerian national, made his initial appearance in federal court Friday, after being extradited from South Africa pursuant to a 2020 federal criminal complaint alleging his involvement in a cyber fraud scheme targeting companies in Tulsa and North Carolina. Ganyo faces charges for conspiracy; transportation of stolen goods; means of identification fraud; trafficking in false means of identification; identity theft conspiracy and attempt; aggravated identity theft; mail fraud; wire fraud; and attempt and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

“Identity theft and computer fraud have a lasting impact on the financial health of the victims and society,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “We are committed to bringing cyber criminals that target Oklahoma companies to justice, even when they hide behind stolen identities across the world and operate in the shadows of cyberspace.”

“The FBI has a long tradition of protecting American companies from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice, no matter where they are located,” said FBI, Oklahoma City, Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “I’m grateful for the dedicated partnership of the South African authorities to find and arrest Mr. Ganyo, so that he may face charges here in Oklahoma.”

According to court documents, Ganyo is alleged to have sent a computer services company in Tulsa a spoofed email using a fraudulently acquired identity and arranged for the purchase of approximately $400,000 worth of Microsoft Surface Pro Tablets. The fraudulent email was successful, and an order was processed and shipped to a company in Raleigh, North Carolina. Ganyo is alleged to have sent a second spoofed email to the North Carolina company, impersonating the Tulsa company, claiming the order was in error and that someone would retrieve the shipment. The shipment was then retrieved from the North Carolina company, repackaged, and prepared for shipment to South Africa by an unknown coconspirator. However, the FBI was able to intercept the shipment in Memphis, Tennessee, and replace the contents with dummy goods and a tracking device. A controlled delivery was then executed in Johannesburg, South Africa and the defendant was arrested by partners with the South African Police Service. Investigation continues into Ganyo’s possible involvement in similar cyber fraud schemes in other parts of the country.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in South Africa to secure the arrest and extradition of Ganyo. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Thomas Buscemi are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Members of the public are reminded to be extremely cautious while conducting business on the internet. Check sender emails and URL addresses for irregularities. Use a full-service internet security site that protects your information. Use strong passwords by incorporating at least 10 letters, numbers, and symbols. Keep your software updated because criminals exploit known software flaws. Manage your social media settings and be careful what you share. For instance, if you share your pets name or reveal where you and your spouse met, you might expose the answers to two common security questions. Secure your home network and public networks by using a virtual private network (VPN). Finally, don’t provide personal information to unsolicited individuals or messages. Most business won’t reach out and ask for personal information by phone or email. If they do, tell them you will call them back. Then call the main number to inquire about the request. If you believe you have been a victim of fraud report it to your local police.
Source-FBI

Democracy is not in place at the Local Government Level in Nigeria.
This assertion was made by a former Councillor in the Ibadan South East Local Government Area of Oyo state, Honorable Yusuf Babatunde.
''Although elections are conducted by the local governments in Oyo state, those who are there now got to the positions by selection. This is a bad approach. The state governments in the affected states have now taken over the sources of revenue  of the local governments, including their functions. The chairmen and councillors receive only salaries. They are now expressing regrets. The local governments are no longer empowered financially as, as a result, they have been crippled. It is a one-man show,'' Hon. Babatunde lamented.

Political office holders have been called upon to treat their fellow Nigerians with a touch of humanity, for God to bless their activities and works.

This call was made by an Ibadan-based Christian cleric, Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi.

''Nigeria's leaders must start to treat their fellow Nigerians with a human face, by addressing the core causes of hunger, poverty and unemployment. This would go a long way in straightening the paths they thread for God to bless their activities and works. When they treat their fellow human beings very well, of course God will bless all they do,'' Pastor Ajayi noted.

The Ezendigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, Eze(Dr.) Alex Anozie has declared that the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, deserves the

award of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) Conferred on him by former President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).

Eze(Dr.) Anozie, who is also the chairman of the state chapter of the Association of Non-Indigenes Heads, made this decalration on recently in Ibadan, Nigeria

''I and my people, Ohanezenidgbo, and all non-indigenes in Ibadan and Oyo state appreciate the honor done to the Olubadan. He merits it because he is a peace-loving Olubadan, who loves all ethnic groups, all Nigerians residing in Ibadan. The Olubadan deserves it. I am therefore congratulating him and all Ibadan indigenes, because if the Olubadan gets something good, he has gotten it for himself and the whole Ibadan and vice versa. So, I am congratulating him. He is a very kind, humble and God-fearing person, who believes in truth, justice and fairness,'' Eze(Dr.) Anozie stated.

In another development, he admonished new political office holders at all levels of government to administer and oversee the affairs of those that elected them with the fear of God.

''Let them have the fear of God in everything they do. My good will message to all political office holders from top to bottom is for them to work for a truly united Nigeria where truth, justice, equity, fairness and peace reign supreme. Nigerians should love one another, not minding their ethnic and religious differences. This is the foundation. If we work hard, the sky is our limit,''Eze(Dr) Anozie noted.

John Chen and Lin Feng Allegedly Furthered the PRC Government’s Transnational Repression Campaign Against the Falun Gong by Bribing a Purported IRS Official

A federal court in the Southern District of New York today unsealed a complaint charging two individuals with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as unregistered agents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), conspiring to bribe and bribing a public official, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to the complaint, John Chen, aka Chen Jun, 70, a Los Angeles resident and former citizen of the PRC, and Lin Feng, a Los Angeles resident and PRC citizen, allegedly participated in a PRC Government-directed scheme targeting U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong — a spiritual practice banned in the PRC. Chen and Feng were arrested today in the Central District of California.

“The Chinese government has yet again attempted, and failed, to target critics of the PRC here in the United States,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege the defendants in this case attempted to bribe someone they thought was an IRS agent in order to further the Chinese government’s campaign of transnational repression in the United States. But the individual they attempted to bribe was in fact an undercover law enforcement agent, and both defendants were arrested this morning. The Justice Department will continue to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute efforts by the PRC government to silence its critics and extend the reaches of its regime onto U.S. soil. We will never stop working to defend the rights to which every person in the United States is entitled.”

“The Department of Justice continues to expose the Chinese government’s brazen attempts to perpetrate transnational repression, this time through attempted bribery,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “As highlighted by today’s arrests and charges of conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering, we will not tolerate efforts by the PRC or any foreign government to intimidate, harass, or undermine the rights and freedoms enjoyed by all who live in the United States.”

“China’s government has once again shown its disregard for the rule of law and international norms,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will not tolerate CCP repression — its efforts to threaten, harass, and intimidate people — here in the United States. We will continue to confront the Chinese government’s efforts to violate our laws and repress the rights and freedoms of people in our country.”“No other nation poses as severe a threat to the democratic values of the United States as the government of the People’s Republic of China,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The FBI will not stand by as the PRC attempts to weaponize our institutions and programs and attack the rights of those on U.S. soil. Any attempt to repress or harass individuals runs directly counter to the ideals our nation was founded upon, and it simply will not be tolerated. The FBI and our partners remain committed to confronting the illegal conduct of the PRC government that threatens our national security and freedom.”

“John Chen and Lin Feng allegedly waged a campaign at the behest of the Government of the People’s Republic of China to influence a U.S. Government official in order to further the PRC Government’s repression of practitioners of Falun Gong,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Efforts to manipulate and use the arms of the U.S. Government to carry out the PRC Government’s autocratic aims are as shocking as they are insidious. My office will work vigorously to protect against malign foreign influences.”

The complaint alleges that from at least approximately January 2023 to May 2023, Chen and Feng worked inside the United States at the direction of the PRC government, including an identified PRC government official (PRC Official-1), to further the PRC government’s campaign to repress and harass Falun Gong practitioners. The PRC Government has designated the Falun Gong as one of the “five poisons,” or one of the top five threats to its rule. In China, Falun Gong adherents face a range of repressive and punitive measures from the PRC government, including imprisonment and torture.                 

As part of the PRC government’s campaign against the Falun Gong, Chen and Feng allegedly engaged in a PRC government-directed scheme to manipulate the IRS’s Whistleblower Program in an effort to strip the tax-exempt status of an entity run and maintained by Falun Gong practitioners (Entity-1). After Chen filed a defective whistleblower complaint with the IRS (the Chen Whistleblower Complaint), Chen and Feng paid $5,000 in cash bribes, and promised to pay substantially more, to a purported IRS agent who was in fact an undercover officer (Agent-1), in exchange for Agent-1’s assistance in advancing the complaint. Neither Chen nor Feng notified the Attorney General that they were acting as agents of the PRC government in the United States.

In the course of the scheme, Chen, on a recorded call, explicitly noted that the purpose of paying these bribes, which were directed and funded by the PRC government, was to carry out the PRC government’s aim of “toppl[ing] . . . the Falun Gong.” During a call intercepted pursuant to a judicially authorized wiretap, Chen and Feng discussed receiving “direction” on the bribery scheme from PRC Official-1, deleting instructions received from PRC Official-1 in order to evade detection, and “alert[ing]” and “sound[ing] the alarm” to PRC Official-1 if Chen and Feng’s meetings to bribe Agent-1 did not go as planned. Chen and Feng also discussed that PRC Official-1 was the PRC Government official “in charge” of the bribery scheme targeting the Falun Gong.

As part of this scheme, Chen and Feng allegedly met with Agent-1 in Newburgh, New York, on May 14.  During the meeting, Chen gave Agent-1 a $1,000 cash bribe as an initial, partial bribe payment. Chen further offered to pay Agent-1 a total of $50,000 for opening an audit of Entity-1, as well as 60% of any whistleblower award from the IRS if the Chen Whistleblower Complaint were successful. On May 18, Feng paid Agent-1 a $4,000 cash bribe at John F. Kennedy International Airport as an additional partial bribe payment in furtherance of the scheme. Chen allegedly obtained funding from the PRC government to make bribe payments during his trips to the PRC in the course of the scheme.

Chen and Feng are each charged with (1) one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General and to bribe a public official, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; (2) one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; (3) one count of bribing a public official, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; and (4) one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The FBI New York and Los Angeles Field Offices and Counterintelligence Division are investigating the case with valuable assistance provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah, Qais Ghafary, Michael D. Lockard, and Kathryn Wheelock for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source-FBI

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah, Qais Ghafary, Michael D. Lockard, and Kathryn Wheelock for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven

The omission and commission of the leadership in all spheres of life in Nigeria, has brought the country to its present worrisome state.
In his views, the Ezendigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, who is also the Head of the Association of Non-Indiggenes in Oyo state, Eze(Dr.) Alex Anozie maintains that the emergence of a good and God-fearing leadership in Nigeria will change the narrative.
Excerpts:

God created this world very beautifully so that man should live peacefully and happily.
But due to selfish, wicked, conscienceless leaders, the world is on fire.
 There are crises everywhere. Human lives are wasted on a daily basis. I am saying it loud and clear,that anywhere there are crises, most of such are caused by bad leadership. Ordinary people are very ready to live peacefully with each other, if well led, and well governed, no matter their ethnic and religious differences, they can live peacefully together. Politicians should come to help in this situation.
If there is good and God-fearing leadership anywhere, there would be peace in that country or society. Good leadership means leadership where justice, equity, fairness and the fear of God reigns. A leadership where citizens condemn injustice, deceit and fraud, lawlessness, no matter whose ox is gored.
A leadership that does things the right way, because no matter whatever anyone is doing, if you do the right thing the wrong way, you are wrong. If you do the wrong thing the right way, you are still wrong, but when things are done the right way, everything will move on right and there will be peace everywhere.
Bad leadership is the problem the world is always having.
I am of the firm belief that with good leaders, most wars all over the world will be minimized. It is either the leaders are corrupt, or they are selfish, leaving the right thing that promotes justice and sanity and doing the wrong things that promote injustice, hardship and hatred among the citizens.

In Nigeria now, those who think that they are  enjoying the music as they look on, ethnic groups abusing and insulting themselves, should have a rethink. Let us all Nigerians join hands and voices together in condemning that which is evil, and encourage that which is good, for the good and unity and peace of our dear country.
I am saying this because a stitch in time saves nine. Let us forget our ethnic and religious differences and call a spade a spade. Only the truth can set us free in this country.

Mona Faiz Montrage Received Over $2 Million in Fraud Proceeds and Pretended to Marry One Victim to Further the Fraud Scheme

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a six-count Indictment charging MONA FAIZ MONTRAGE for her role in a series of romance schemes and for laundering the proceeds of those schemes.  MONTRAGE was arrested in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2022, and was extradited from the United Kingdom on May 12, 2023.  MONTRAGE will be presented before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty, to whom the case is assigned, later today.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Mona Faiz Montrage was a member of a criminal conspiracy that specifically targeted older Americans through romance scams.  These scams can be both financially and emotionally devastating for vulnerable victims.  Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, Montrage was arrested abroad and has been brought to the United States to face justice.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “We alleged today that Ms. Montrage participated in multiple romance scams – often targeting elderly victims – resulting in more than $2 million in fraudulent funds under her control.  Romance scams – especially those that target older individuals – are of major concern.  The FBI will be tireless in our efforts to hold fraudsters accountable in the criminal justice system.”

As alleged in the Indictment and other publicly filed materials. From at least in or about 2013 through in or about 2019, MONTRAGE was a member of a criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in West Africa that committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses in the United States, including romance scams. 

Many of the Enterprise’s romance scam victims were vulnerable, older men and women who lived alone.  The Enterprise frequently conducted the romance scams by sending the victims emails, text messages, and social media messages that deceived the victims into believing that they were in romantic relationships with a person who had, in fact, a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise.  Once members of the Enterprise had successfully convinced victims that they were in a romantic relationship and had gained their trust, they convinced the victims, under false pretenses, to transfer money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when, in fact, the bank accounts were controlled by members of the Enterprise.

MONTRAGE is a Ghanaian public figure who rose to fame as an influencer through her Instagram profile, under the username “Hajia4Reall,” which at one point had approximately 3.4 million Instagram followers and was among the top 10 profiles with the most followers in Ghana.

MONTRAGE received money from several victims of romance frauds whom members of the Enterprise tricked into sending money.  Among the false pretenses used to induce victims to send money to MONTRAGE were (i) payments to transport gold to the United States from overseas; (ii) payments to resolve a fake FBI unemployment investigation; and (iii) payments to assist a fake United States army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan.

As to one victim, MONTRAGE used her real name and spoke to the victim several times by phone.  MONTRAGE sent the victim a tribal marriage certificate purporting to show that MONTRAGE and the victim had been married in Ghana.  The victim sent MONTRAGE approximately 82 wire transfers totaling approximately $89,000 to purportedly help with costs associated with MONTRAGE’s father’s farm in Ghana.

In total, MONTRAGE controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds from the Enterprise.

*                *                *

MONTRAGE, 30, of Accra, Ghana, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of money laundering, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  MONTRAGE is also charged with one count of receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of MONTRAGE will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI.  Mr. Williams also thanked the United States Marshals Services, the National Extradition Unit, United States Customs and Border Protection, and the FBI Legal Attaché in London for their assistance in the investigation.  The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from the United Kingdom.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.