The U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei revealed that Darlington Akporugo was arrested just days before his planned wedding.
According to him, Akporugo was a key player in a Houston-based operation that targeted victims across the U.S., convincing them to send money under false pretenses.
His scheme primarily targeted retirees and elderly people, using fake online identities to build trust before manipulating them into sending funds.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Akporugo, an undocumented immigrant, pleaded guilty in a Texas federal court to multiple fraud charges, including wire fraud and mail fraud. Investigators linked him to over 25 victims, with total losses exceeding $3 million.
Special Agent Chad Plantz of ICE Homeland Security Investigations condemned the scheme, highlighting how Darlington Akporugo and his co-conspirators exploited vulnerable individuals, including widows.
He praised the victims who reported the scam, which ultimately helped authorities dismantle the operation.
“This individual and his co-conspirators preyed on the vulnerability of the elderly and recently widowed to defraud them of their hard-earned life savings,” Plantz said.
“Thanks to the victims who bravely came forward to report this matter to law enforcement and the outstanding relationships that we have with our domestic and law enforcement partners abroad; we were able to expose this reprehensible scheme and hold the criminals involved in it accountable.”
Prosecutors revealed he used social media platforms like Facebook to lure victims and directed them to deposit money into accounts controlled by him or his associates. Some victims even opened lines of credit or purchased luxury items for him.
The lengthy investigation uncovered significant financial fraud, with much of the stolen money being sent overseas.
Authorities urged victims of romance scams to come forward, emphasizing that many suffer severe financial losses but are often too embarrassed to report the crimes.
“As we unfortunately have seen, victims of romance scams suffer tremendous financial loss, sometimes amounting to their entire life savings,” US Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced.
“Those have fallen prey to such fraudsters are often too embarrassed to come forward and report the incident to law enforcement. Although this is an understandable reaction, we encourage victims to nonetheless come forward, as their story may help the future victimization of others.”
Darlington Akporugo is scheduled for sentencing on June 6 and faces up to 20 years in federal prison, along with a possible $250,000 fine. He remains in custody until his hearing.
KanyiDaily recalls that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently arrested 25-year-old Oluyomi Omobolanle Bombata, also known as “Bobo Chicago,” over an alleged $2.8 million email scam and money laundering operation.
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