FBI Arraigns Extradited Nigerian In US Court Over $64m Romance Scam

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arraigned a Nigerian man. Samuel Ugberaese, before a United States court, following his successful extradition from Nigeria over alleged involvement in a cross-border romance scam.

Ugberaese, popularly known as “Putsammy,” faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the charges brought against him.

The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) confirmed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday, noting that a federal grand jury had earlier returned an indictment against the suspect. Following his appearance, US Magistrate Judge Brian S. Myers ordered that Ugberaese be remanded in custody pending his trial.

According to the charge sheet, the suspect and his accomplices allegedly used false identities and deceptive promises to defraud unsuspecting victims in the US and other countries into transferring large sums of money to them.

The prosecution further alleged that Ugberaese worked with a co-defendant, Oluwadamilare Kolaogunbule, a naturalised US citizen, to move the stolen funds through a network of bank accounts disguised as export companies to conceal the illegal source of the funds.

Ugberaese is currently facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The successful arrest and extradition of the suspect were achieved through a joint operation involving the FBI office in Abuja, Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice, the Nigeria Police Force INTERPOL unit, and international security agencies.