…he admitted to American prosecutors that he was involved in computer-based fraud between 2015 and 2019. He will be sentenced on October 22, 2020.
Obinwanne ‘Invictus’ Okeke, the Nigerian businessman and owner of Invictus Group who was arrested in the United States last year, has pleaded guilty to a fraud charge of $11 million (N4.2 billion).
A spokesperson for the United States District Court for Eastern District of VIRGINIA, Joshua Stueve told PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday evening that Mr Okeke could spend up to 20 maximum years as penalty in an American jail.
“A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors,” the court official said.
Robert Krask, an American judge of the district, certified the guilty plea on Thursday morning to clear the paths for Mr Okeke’s sentencing.
Mr Okeke and other alleged conspirators said to still be at large were accused of targeting American businesses in a probe led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
UNATRAC, a subsidiary of heavy equipment giant Caterpillar, was amongst the companies said to have been targeted by the cartel in a business email compromise scheme for several years. Over $11 million was said to have been traced to the ring, amidst claims that Mr Okeke allegedly used proceeds of his illicit dealings to build a business empire in Abuja and other parts of Nigeria.
Source: Premium Times
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