Court Sentences American To 74-year Jail Term Over $1.2m US Visa Scam

Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced an American businessman, Marco Antonio Ramirez to 74 years in prison over his involvement in a $1.2 million US visa scam.

Justice Dada handed down the verdict after she found the foreigner guilty of a 16-count charge of defrauding investors of $1.2 million in the visa scam, and $368,698.24 in a separate fraud case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had alleged in the charge marked ID/2763c/2016 that the American and his companies, USA NOW LLC, Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP and USA Now Capital Group LP, sometimes in February 2013 and August 2013 in Lagos, defrauded three Nigerians of the said sum.

The anti-graft agency accused the foreigner of obtaining money from his victims as processing fees for their investments in his company, USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, in the Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) United States of America Investor Programme, which would qualify them for the issuance of a USA Green Card.

However, the defendant did not fulfil his promise.

The offences, according to the anti-graft agency, are contrary to and punishable under Sections 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2004.

Ramirez had pleaded not guilty to the charge when he was arraigned.

One of the counts in the amended charge alleged that between February 5, 2013, and April 18, 2013, Ramirez and his companies dishonourably converted the sum of $545,000 belonging to Godson Onyemaechi Echegile to their personal use.

In another count, the convict was accused of dishonourably converted to their personal use, the sum of $314,800 belonging to Abubakar Umar Sadiq that between July 12, 2012, and November 7, 2012.

The case faced several adjournments before the final addresses were adopted, and the judge delivered the verdict.
In her judgment, Justice Dada found Ramirez guilty as charged and sentenced him to 10 years each on counts 1 to 12, bordering on obtaining by false pretence, and ten years each on counts 13 to 16, bordering on stealing.

The judge also found him guilty on another separate amended nine-count charge bordering on $368,698.24 fraud.

In a separate case, Ramirez was found guilty of defrauding another victim, Gabriel Ogie Edeoghon, for $250,000 on July 26, 2013.

He falsely claimed that the money was for an investment in the USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, which would make Edeoghon eligible for a U.S. Green Card through the EB-5 visa programme.

Ramirez received additional sentences of eight years each on counts one to six and ten years each on counts seven and eight for this particular fraud.