Samuel Ugberaese, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering, North Carolina 2021

⏱ 2 min read

A Nigerian national, Samuel Ugberaese, has been extradited to the United States to face charges relating to a cross-border romance scam that targeted elderly victims in the US and elsewhere. The scam, which involved false stories and promises, was used to exploit and defraud victims into transferring money. Ugberaese was extradited from Nigeria and arrested by the FBI, with the assistance of several international agencies, including the Department of State and the Nigeria Police Force.

According to the indictment, Ugberaese and his co-conspirators used romance scheme techniques to defraud victims, and then conspired to conceal and disguise the nature of the criminal proceeds through a network of bank accounts. Ugberaese is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and faces a statutory maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.

The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina on January 22, 2021, and Ugberaese was ordered to be detained pending trial by United States Magistrate Judge Brian S. Myers. The case is being handled by the EDNC USAO’s Fraud Section, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuting.

The extradition of Ugberaese is a significant development in the case, and demonstrates the cooperation between international agencies in combating cross-border crime. The romance scam is a type of crime that often targets vulnerable individuals, and can result in significant financial losses for the victims.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

US News

Kelli Biller, Meth and Fentanyl Conspiracy, Iowa 2024

Sep 5, 2024

US News

Jason Lewis Schwamberger, Possession of Child Pornography, Texas 2023

Sep 9, 2021

US News

Carl Napier, RICO Conspiracy, New Jersey 2024

Jul 2, 2025

US News

Sandra Meza-Casillas, Assault on a Federal Officer, Arizona 2025

Aug 19, 2025