Two Nigerian-born men have been sentenced in the United States for their roles in a multi-million dollar money laundering scheme that targeted elderly victims.
Olumide Olorunfunmi, 40, and Emmanuel Unuigbe, 43, were each sentenced to 30 months in prison by a federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday. The sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
The defendants were also ordered to pay more than 4.6 million dollars in restitution to victims of the fraud.
According to court documents, between 2020 and 2023, Olorunfunmi and Unuigbe conspired with others to launder proceeds from romance scams and business email compromise schemes. More than 125 victims were defrauded of over 4.5 million dollars.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Russ Ferguson, announced the sentences in a statement, alongside FBI Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr.
A related defendant, Samson Amos, was sentenced to five years of probation, including six months of home confinement, for conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. He was also ordered to pay restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan prosecuted the case.
