Justice M. Itsueli of Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City, on Monday, convicted and sentenced six internet fraudsters after they were found guilty of one count charge of impersonation and possession of fraudulent documents.
The convicts are Kelvin Eghosa Osadebawen, Akhere Jeffery, Akhabue Bright, Destiny Akhere, Erahon Emmanuel Imuentinyan and Ekhator Osamudiamen Favour.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stated that 21-year-old Imuentinyan was discovered to have impersonated Gary Sinise, an American in order to defraud Diane Quigley during an investigation.
While 23 -year-old Bright represented himself as Chang Wang in an attempt to defraud unsuspecting victims.
The others were found to be in possession of fraudulent documents.
The charge against Akhere reads: “that you, Destiny Akhere (m) on or about the 22nd May 2023 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did have in your possession on your iPhone 12 Pro Max with IMEI 359871977443432 documents which you knew or ought to have known contained false pretenses and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.
According to EFCC Spokesperson Wilson Uwajaren, all the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, Al-Amin Abdul Ibrahim, Ibrahim Faisal, and Abdulazeez Bala-Ribah to ask the Court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
However, counsel to the defendants pleaded with the Court to temper justice with mercy as the defendants were first-time offenders.
Justice Itsueli convicted and sentenced Osadebawen, Bright, Akhere, Imuentinyan, and Favour to one-month imprisonment with a fine of Two Hundred Thousand Naira as fine.
Jeffrey was sentenced to three years imprisonment or a fine of N300,000.
In addition, they are to forfeit their phones and the balance in their bank accounts, being proceeds of crime, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
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