OLALEKAN JACOB PONLE, Cyber Fraud, Illinois 2020

Chicago-Based Cyber Fraud Scheme Exposed

CHICAGO — OLALEKAN JACOB PONLE, 29, a Nigerian national, has been expelled from the United Arab Emirates to face a federal criminal charge in Chicago for allegedly orchestrating an international cyber fraud scheme.

Ponle, also known as ‘Mr. Woodbery’ and ‘Mark Kain,’ is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

The schemes, which targeted several U.S.-based companies, resulted in attempted or actual losses of tens of millions of dollars, including a Chicago-based company that was defrauded into sending wire transfers totaling $15.2 million.

Ponle was arrested last month by law enforcement in the United Arab Emirates, where he had been residing. He was subsequently expelled from the UAE into the custody of the FBI and arrived in Chicago Thursday evening.

Ponle made an initial court appearance this morning in Chicago. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert set a detention hearing for July 9, 2020, at 4:00 p.m.

The complaint and expulsion were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI.

The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs at the Justice Department provided substantial assistance. The government of the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai Police Department provided valuable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melody Wells of the Northern District of Illinois is prosecuting the case.

Ponle’s alleged cyber fraud scheme spanned at least the first nine months of 2019. The complaint describes several instances in which one or more unknown subjects gained unauthorized access to a U.S.-based company’s email account and sent messages to unwitting employees claiming to be from the company or a known business contact.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/nigerian-national-expelled-united-arab-emirates-face-cyber-fraud-charge-chicago