The United States authorities have concluded plans to deport a Nigerian national, Ayobami Omoniyi, following his conviction and sentencing over a $202,000 money laundering operation.
The U.S. Department of Justice disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, noting that the deportation would take effect after he serves his prison term.
Omoniyi was sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment by Andrew S. Hanen after pleading guilty to his role in laundering proceeds of fraud.
Investigations revealed that the convict and his accomplices, in 2021, handled and transferred funds obtained through fraudulent schemes, including money taken from a fishing company based in Australia.
Authorities explained that the syndicate operated an illegal money-transmitting network tied to business email compromise scams, a scheme that involves impersonating legitimate companies to deceive victims.
The statement noted that victims were sent fake emails designed to look authentic, prompting them to make payments into bank accounts controlled by the fraud ring.
Omoniyi admitted during proceedings that he knowingly moved illicit funds across several bank accounts and received commissions for facilitating the transfers.
The court also ordered him to pay restitution of $202,273.80 to victims affected by the scheme as part of his sentence.
According to the Justice Department, Omoniyi will be removed from the United States upon completing his jail term, having been found to be unlawfully involved in criminal activities since his arrival.
The authorities further revealed that he played an active role in recruiting others into the fraudulent network, contributing to the expansion of the operation.
