Caesar Oruade, Wire Fraud Scheme, Tennessee 2023

MEMPHIS, TN - A California couple has been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in an international wire fraud scheme.

Caesar Oruade, 39, and Ayana Saunders, 37, of Hawthorne, California, were sentenced to 70 months and 60 months in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money.

The scheme, which involved the diversion of $76,000 from a Memphis woman's down payment on a home, was uncovered in May 2017. Agents investigating the case found that the funds were sent to several U.S. bank accounts before being wired to an account in Nigeria.

Testimony at trial showed that Saunders would take some of the funds before wiring the remaining monies to the Nigerian bank account of her husband, Caesar Oruade. The scheme also involved the proceeds of romance scams and 'hard money' loan scams.

The defendants were also ordered to pay more than one million dollars in restitution.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Memphis Division, United States Secret Service (USSS), FBI - Los Angeles Division, and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Senior United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen handed down the sentences, which are followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, praised the work of law enforcement partners in bringing the case to a successful conclusion.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/husband-and-wife-sentenced-international-wire-fraud-scheme