Uju Okigbo, International Investment Scam, TX 2024

HOUSTON — A $7 million international investment scam built on forged bank documents, stolen identities, and luxury car deliveries has blown open with federal charges against six individuals, including Uju Okigbo, 48, of Richmond, Texas. The scheme, run by a network spanning Nigeria, the U.S., and the Philippines, targeted victims worldwide by posing as executives from BB&T and JPMorgan Chase, promising millions in fake joint venture funding—all while siphoning cash through U.S. bank accounts and shipping high-end vehicles to Nigeria.

Okigbo, already in federal custody, faces a barrage of charges: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, two counts of concealment money laundering, one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, three counts of engaging in transactions with proceeds of specified unlawful activity, and one count of aggravated identity theft for impersonating a U.S. banking executive. She allegedly served as a key money mover, helping liquidate stolen funds through wire transfers, cash withdrawals, and the purchase of Land Rover and Mercedes Benz vehicles shipped overseas.

Chioma Okafor, 28, of Houston, faces identical charges to Okigbo except for the three transaction counts and identity theft. Marita Ranalan Underwood, 61, of Manila, Philippines, John Christian Rutledge, 64, of Yaphank, New York, and Osa May Martin, 68, of Carthage, Missouri, were each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to wrongfully use government seals. All three helped orchestrate fake in-person meetings and used fabricated U.S. government documents to lend legitimacy to the scam, even staging visits to U.S. consulates abroad.

Tiffany Sourjohn, 47, of Miami, Oklahoma, was charged by information with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wrongful use of government seals. She entered a guilty plea today before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. in the Southern District of Texas. Her cooperation could unravel further layers of the transnational fraud ring.

The scam relied on deception at every level. Perpetrators in Nigeria used fake email domains mimicking BB&T and Chase to contact victims, who were then flown in for face-to-face meetings with U.S. accomplices posing as bank representatives. When meetings occurred abroad, the conspirators exploited U.S. diplomatic sites—staging phony consular visits and presenting counterfeit government endorsements to make victims believe the deals were state-sanctioned. The victims, lured by promises of millions, paid tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars into U.S. accounts as ‘processing fees’ that vanished instantly.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Houston’s Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner, and State Department Inspector General Steve A. Linick announced the charges. Martin appeared before a U.S. magistrate in Springfield, Missouri; Rutledge is set for an upcoming initial appearance. The case underscores how digital impersonation, financial laundering, and real-world theatrics combine into a new breed of high-stakes global fraud.