Just like the former Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor, Abidemi Rufai, and perhaps like Hushpuppi, another Nigerian Instagram celebrity has been jailed in the US for internet fraud.
35-year-old Bamidele Muraina better know as Dele Ewe, was sentenced to 70 months in prison.
He was also ordered to pay $561,125.62 in restitution while his co-conspirator, 33-year-old Zambian, Gabriel Kalembo was sentenced to 50 months in prison and ordered to pay $298,008.71 in restitution.
The US Justice Department says that, “these defendants stole funds from programs meant to assist American workers and families seeking to make ends meet during Covid-19.”
Dele and his Zambia friend defrauded the Employment Security Department of Washington State (ESDWA) by filing several fraudulent unemployment insurances (UI) claims in the names of identity theft victims who were not allowed to posses such benefits.
Reports say that between January 29 2018 and April 2020, the culprits stole hard-earned tax returns and money meant to help families during the pandemic.
They succeeded in hacking into multiple tax preparation and accounting firms located in several states.
Dele is said to have gained access to the firms’ accounts stealing personally identifiable information from Washington residents to submit false claims for unemployment insurance benefits under the federal Covid-19 pandemic relief program.
With his fraudulent claims, he presented in the names of at least 50 residents, the State of Washington paid out more than $280,000 in unemployment benefits.
His accomplices, including Gabriel Kalembo, recruited Zambian nationals to travel to the US on tourist visas to incorporate fake companies in Georgia and open business bank accounts in the names of those companies.
Having perfected the transfer of the funds into those accounts, Kalembo laundered the funds by cashing money orders purchased with debit cards linked to the business profiles of those accounts.
Read also:
SSA To Ogun State Governor, Abidemi Rufai Arrested for Fraud in New York (video)
Another IG Celebrity Big Boy Jailed for Internet Fraud in US
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