GULFPORT, MS – Justice, however delayed, finally landed for victims of a sprawling international fraud scheme this week. Three Nigerian nationals, extradited from South Africa in July 2015, were handed down crippling prison sentences in the Southern District of Mississippi for their roles in a network that bilked countless individuals out of millions. The sentences – 115 years for Rasaq Aderoju Raheem, 31; 95 years for Oladimeji Seun Ayelotan, 30; and 25 years for Femi Alexander Mewase, 45 – send a message, though many victims may feel it’s far too late.
The announcement came from Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer Jr. of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans. The trio were convicted after a three-week trial in early 2017, found guilty on charges including mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, credit card fraud, and theft of government property. Ayelotan and Raheem also faced the music for conspiracies to commit bank fraud and money laundering, escalating their penalties.
This wasn’t a small-time operation. A total of 21 defendants were initially charged, and the sentencing continues to unfold. Teslim Olarewaju Kiriji, 30, of Nigeria, previously received a 20-year sentence as a key leader. Six others are already serving 10-year terms: Adekunle Adefila, 41; Anuoluwapo Segun Adegbemigun, 40; Gabriel Oludare Adeniran, 30; Olufemi Obaro Omoraka, 27; Taofeeq Olamilekan Oyelade, 32; and Olusegun Seyi Shonekan, 34 – all from Nigeria. Further down the line, Genoveva Farfan, 45, of California, got 9 years, Rhulane Fionah Hlungwane, 26, of South Africa, received 5 years, and Olutoyin Ogunlade, 41, of New York, was sentenced to 4 years. Dennis Brian Ladden, 75, of Wisconsin, received time served and home confinement, while Susan Anne Villeneuve, 61, of California, awaits sentencing after a guilty plea earlier this month.
The scheme, dating back to at least 2001, relied on classic internet-based fraud. Defendants and their network used stolen credit card numbers to buy electronics, hijacked bank accounts with stolen personal information, and flooded the system with counterfeit checks and money orders. The total intended loss? Tens of millions of dollars. But the operation didn’t just rely on technical skill; it preyed on vulnerability. The conspirators specifically targeted victims through “romance scams,” building false relationships online to gain trust before exploiting it for financial gain.
Evidence presented at trial revealed a chilling level of manipulation. Victims, lured by false affections, were strong-armed into laundering money through services like Western Union and MoneyGram, repackaging and reshipping fraudulently obtained goods, and cashing bogus checks. HSI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service spearheaded the investigation, receiving critical support from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, HSI Cyber Crimes Center, HSI Attachés in Pretoria and Dakar, the U.S. Marshals Service, and law enforcement agencies in South Africa, including the SAPS Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation and Interpol Extradition Unit.
While these sentences offer a degree of closure, the damage is done. Countless lives have been financially and emotionally scarred by this operation. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as the remaining defendants face justice, and will relentlessly report on the ever-evolving landscape of cybercrime and the predators who exploit the vulnerable.
Related Federal Cases
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Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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