Emmanuel Ugbaja, Money Laundering, Louisiana 2022

State: Louisiana
Category: Fraud &#038; Financial Crimes
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/georgia-man-sentenced-5-years-probation-including-2-years-home-confinement-money" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A Georgia Man’s Web of Deceit: 5 Years of Probation and $240,000 in Restitution for Money Laundering Scheme

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – In a shocking turn of events, Emmanuel Ugbaja, a 56-year-old resident of Duluth, Georgia, has been sentenced to 5 years of probation, including 2 years of home confinement, for his role in a brazen money laundering scheme.

According to court records, Ugbaja was involved in two separate internet scams in 2018. The first victim, from Kansas, was swindled out of money by a love interest posing as a romance scam. The second victim, from California, was targeted by a person pretending to be an attorney in an inheritance scam.

The two victims were instructed to send their funds to a bank account controlled by Ugbaja. He then retained a portion of the funds for himself and sent the remaining $60,000 to a local maritime broker as part of a down payment for the purchase of a vessel.

Ugbaja’s sentence also includes restitution of over $97,000 to the two fraud victims and over $135,000 to the Small Business Administration for uncharged CARES Act COVID-19 funding fraud, in addition to a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

This case is part of an ongoing national effort by the federal government to combat online fraud schemes often based overseas that target U.S. citizens. The public is encouraged to report potential online fraud activity or scams to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at https://www.ic3.gov/.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit handled the prosecution of this case, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As the nation grapples with the rise of online scams, it is clear that those who perpetuate these crimes will be held accountable. Ugbaja’s sentence serves as a warning to those who would seek to exploit vulnerable individuals for personal gain.

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