Mr Obinwanne Okeke, chairman of Invictus Group who was arrested by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations, has pleaded guilty to $11 million (N4.2 billion) fraud charge.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted Okeke’s plea.
Mr Okeke, 32, operated a group of companies known as the Invictus Group between 2015 and 2019, and was accused of fleecing unsuspecting victims of over $11 million.
The conspirators obtained and compiled the credentials of hundreds of victims, including victims in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, said a statement by U.S.attorney’s office for Eastern Virginia.
“As part of the scheme, Okeke and others engaged in an email compromise scheme targeting Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy industrial and farm equipment.
“In April 2018, a Unatrac executive fell prey to a phishing email that allowed conspirators to capture login credentials.
“The conspirators sent fraudulent wire transfer requests and attached fake invoices. Okeke participated in the effort to victimize Unatrac through fraudulent wire transfers totalling nearly $11 million, which funds were transferred overseas,” the statement read.
Mr Okeke pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on October 22.
