Connect with us

News

U.S. Court Jails International Fraud Ring Member Mustapha Raji For Money Laundering

Published

on

Spread the love

 

“Today’s sentencing of Mustapha Raji should send a clear message that email scams targeting businesses in this District will not be tolerated.”

Florida Man Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Participating In Fraud And Money Laundering Scheme Targeting Hedge Fund

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MUSTAPHA RAJI was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman to three years in prison for his participation in a $1.7 million business email compromise and money laundering scheme that targeted a Manhattan hedge fund.

RAJI was previously convicted after a one-week jury trial of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, receipt of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today’s sentencing of Mustapha Raji should send a clear message that email scams targeting businesses in this District will not be tolerated. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to zealously prosecute online scammers abroad, and the U.S.-based money launderers they work with, to protect American businesses.”

As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial: RAJI participated in an international fraud ring that conducted phishing and other email fraud campaigns.

In April 2017, a company RAJI controlled received over $100,000 in two transfers from another corporate entity, which had itself just received nearly $2 million in stolen money from a public university in Oregon. The university had been conned into sending the payment to an account controlled by one of RAJI’s co-conspirators instead of the bank account of the legitimate vendor it intended to pay.

In July 2018, RAJI was involved in the compromise of the business email account of a hedge fund founder in New York. That compromise resulted in the fraudulent diversion of a $1.7 million wire transfer from the hedge fund to a corporate bank account used to facilitate the scheme. RAJI was a registered officer of the company that received the stolen funds, he fabricated documents to cover up the fraudulent transfer of funds from the hedge fund, and he directed a co-conspirator to launder the stolen funds to other co-conspirators domestically and overseas.

RAJI took a $50,000 cut for his participation in the scheme.

Similarly, in May 2018, a hospital system in Missouri fell victim to a business email compromise scheme. As part of that scheme, unauthorized emails were sent from the email account for the hospital’s chief financial officer that purported to direct payments to be issued for false invoices issued by RAJI’s company, causing over $250,000 to be sent directly by the victim to a bank account RAJI controlled.

In September 2018, RAJI learned that a co-conspirator with whom he had worked closely in the scheme had been arrested. Nonetheless, when a cooperating witness approached RAJI in 2019 about a new fraud — a supposed insider job to steal $2.3 million — RAJI agreed to participate and sent the cooperating witness wire instructions for an account to receive the stolen money.

In addition to his prison term, RAJI, 53, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $711,557.54 and forfeit the same amount.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Ghosh, Jilan Kamal, Dina McLeod, and Robert B. Sobelman are in charge of the prosecution.

SOURCE: PG

News

SystemSpecs’ Sixth Children’s Day Essay Competition to Kickstart in February 2025

Published

on

By

Spread the love

 

 

The organisers of Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC), SystemSpecs a leading software technology company, has announced the 2025 edition.

According to them, the porter will be open on February 3, 2025.

For the sixth consecutive year, the CDEC will provide Nigerian children aged 9 to 16 a platform to showcase their creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills through the application of technology in addressing real-world issues.

As a cornerstone of SystemSpecs’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, the CDEC has, for the past five years, promoted technological awareness and fostered innovation among young Nigerians. The competition aims to nurture local talent and equip the next generation of leaders with the skills necessary to thrive in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Mrs. Bukola Adeoye, Executive Director of Corporate Services at SystemSpecs Holdings Limited, expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming edition: “For Nigeria to compete effectively on a global scale, the next generation must be equipped with the requisite technological skills from an early stage. Therefore, over the past five years, we have been dedicated to promoting technological awareness nationwide, highlighting the significance of initiatives like this in shaping Nigeria’s digital future through the CDEC. We are happy to announce that the upcoming edition of CDEC will provide all Nigerian children with another opportunity to explore technology and develop crucial skills for the future.”

ALSO READ: SystemSpecs’ GMD, John Obaro, Advocates for Robust Digitalisation to Improve Governance Frameworks

With over three decades of experience in ICT development, SystemSpecs has continually invested in nurturing young talent, helping to create sustainable change in the tech sector. This competition reflects the company’s long-term vision of promoting technological literacy and capacity development, positioning Nigeria to compete globally in the digital economy.

The competition, which has become increasingly competitive, is expected to attract participants from all 36 states and the FCT, as students are eager to showcase their innovative ideas. The next edition promises to engage new schools, students, and parents while continuing to inspire thousands of young minds across the country.

CDEC has gained widespread national acceptance, drawing participation from both public and private schools across Nigeria. The competition has seen a significant increase in entries, particularly from female students, aligning with global initiatives like Girls in ICT. As part of its impact, the competition has influenced millions of students, helping them build confidence, creativity, and a passion for technology.

As SystemSpecs gears up for the 2025 edition, Mrs Adeboye emphasised the company’s excitement about engaging with new students, schools, and parents: “This competition is becoming increasingly competitive, and we look forward to even greater participation next year. It’s a unique opportunity for students to explore technology and develop essential skills that will empower them for the future.

Continue Reading

News

Lagos LG Boss, Olakanle Dies In Office, Like His Predecessor

Published

on

By

Spread the love

 

OLU JAMES RAPHEAL

 

Onigbongbo LCDA chairman, Oladotun Olakanle, has passed away at the age of 54, he was said to have died days after attending the burial of a close friend and APC chieftain, Dr. Adesola Taiwo.

Late Olakanle would be the second Onigbongbo LCDA chairman who will die in office while serving their second term.

This tragic event marks the second time a sitting council boss in Onigbongbo LCDA has died in office during their second term. Olakanle’s predecessor, Babatunde Oke, also passed away due to Covid-19 complications while serving his second term.

Continue Reading

News

US President, Biden Thanks Tinubu Over  The  Release Of Gambaryan

Published

on

By

Spread the love

… discussed African Security

President of the United States, Joe Biden, has expressed his gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian government for dropping the criminal charges against Head of Financial Crimes Compliance at Binance, Tigran Gambaryan.
Gambaryan, a US citizen, was arrested on a business trip to Nigeria in February and charged with his company for laundering $35.4m and tax evasion, which they denied.
This followed the escape from custody of his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British-Kenyan national who was Binance’s Africa regional manager, and had been arrested in Nigeria alongside Gambaryan.

But the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last week announced that it had withdrawn the money laundering charges against Tigran Gambaryan to allow him to get medical treatment outside the country.

However, to express gratitude on the development and a number of other matters of mutual interest, President Biden called President Tinubu at about 4pm today (Tuesday) and held a conversation, which lasted about 30 minutes.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who disclosed this to journalists at the State House, Abuja, said discussions centered around the recent discharge of Gambaryan and other diplomatic issues.
The Minister said Biden expressed support for Nigeria’ quest to get a permanent seat status on the United Nations Security Council, especially with the country’s leadership roles in Africa and peace-keeping efforts and sacrifices across the globe.

According to Tuggar: “The call was about the collaboration between the two countries with regards to law enforcement and law enforcement agencies as well as the release of one of the suspects of the crypto currency exchange company that you are all aware of.

“In response, President Tinubu also thanked him and the US for the partnership and collaboration in numerous areas, and also discussed the issue of collaboration with regards to security in Africa, in particular West Africa.
“President Biden equally assured that this is a partnership that will continue and he stated, as a matter of fact, not more than not just once, but at least twice, that the future of the world resides in Africa, which is why it was important for this partnership to continue.
“The two leaders also discussed the issue of the permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council, and President Biden once again assured that the United States is committed to seeing Africa having two permanent seats and also reiterated that he does not see any reason why one of those seats should not belong to Nigeria, given its position in Africa, its stature and importance.”

 

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright © 2017 Zox News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by WordPress.