New Orleans, LA – In a gritty turn of justice, Emmanuel Ugbaja, a 56-year-old con man from Duluth, Georgia, has been handed a five-year probation sentence with two years home confinement for his role in internet scams that led to massive money laundering.
Ugbaja pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and was sentenced by United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion. The investigation revealed that Ugbaja, along with co-conspirators, duped two victims – one from Kansas and another from California – into sending a total of $60,000 to a bank account under his control. He retained a portion for himself before forwarding the funds as a down payment for an unrelated vessel purchase.
In addition to his probationary sentence, Ugbaja must pay over $97,000 in restitution to the victims and $135,000 to the Small Business Administration for uncharged CARES Act COVID-19 funding fraud. He also faces a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The DOJ’s United States Attorney’s Office highlighted that this case is part of a national effort to combat online fraud schemes often based overseas, targeting unsuspecting U.S. citizens. The public is encouraged to report such activities to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at www.ic3.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera from the Financial Crimes Unit handled the prosecution with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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