SAN FRANCISCO – A pair of alleged money mules are facing federal charges after authorities uncovered a scheme to launder millions of dollars stolen from victims of online romance scams. Kinston Osagie, 53, of Los Angeles, and Roland Ighiwiyisi, 40, of Nigeria, are accused of washing at least $3 million in funds extorted from heartbroken individuals lured into fake online relationships.
According to an indictment unsealed today, Osagie allegedly opened at least 18 U.S. bank accounts between January 2015 and August 2020, funneling approximately $6 million through them. A significant portion – $3 million – is directly linked to victims who fell prey to sophisticated “romance fraud” schemes. These scams, as described by investigators, involve creating elaborate profiles on dating sites like Tinder and Match.com, building trust with vulnerable targets, and then systematically draining their bank accounts.
The indictment details how the scheme operated. Scam artists allegedly create fake personas – intriguing names, stolen photos, and fabricated backstories – to reel in victims. They cultivate online relationships, avoiding face-to-face meetings with a litany of excuses, and eventually begin requesting money for fabricated emergencies or needs. Once the funds are sent, they disappear. Osagie and Ighiwiyisi are accused of then taking those illicit funds and moving them through a network of accounts to obscure their origin.
The charges against Osagie are particularly damning. He’s been indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, alongside Ighiwiyisi, covering the period from March 2019 to April 2020. Additionally, Osagie faces four individual counts of money laundering. Three of those counts center around $267,000 allegedly laundered from a woman who sent money to a fake persona named “Merry Mattias” she met on Match.com. The fourth involves $20,300 funneled from another victim, tricked through the online game Words with Friends. Investigators note that Ighiwiyisi owns a company incorporated in Nigeria and maintains banking relationships there, and that both men reportedly share a common mother residing in Nigeria.
Both Kinston Osagie and Roland Ighiwiyisi, also known as Roland Osagie, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h). Osagie additionally faces four counts of money laundering in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957. If convicted, each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, followed by three years of supervised release. Sentencing, however, will be determined by the court based on federal guidelines and statutory considerations.
Osagie appeared in United States District Court today and was released on a $100,000 bond, with his next court date scheduled for July 23, 2021, before the Honorable Susan Illston. It’s crucial to remember that an indictment is merely an allegation, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. But for the victims of these scams, the pain of betrayal is real, and this indictment offers a glimmer of hope for justice.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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