Internet fraudster jailed for defrauding victims $592,000

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC yesterday secured the conviction and sentencing of Eze Harrison Arinze before Justice J.K Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for defrauding 34 victims in 13 countries of $592,000 (Five Hundred and Ninety-Two Thousand United States Dollars).

EFCC in a statement via its X (formerly Twitter) said Arinze was re-arraigned on one count charge bordering on impersonation and obtaining under false pretence.

The charge against the fraudster reads: “That you, EZE HARRISON ARINZE alias Charlotte Brain, sometime between April 2021 and December 2022 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, did fraudulently impersonate one Charlotte Brain a purported owner of next investment platforms on telegram and in that assumed character obtained cryptocurrency worth $592,000.00 (Five Hundred and Ninety-Two US Dollars) from Coinbase exchange users, through your bitcoin address – 333AgHuT8wAhowRBQZ2ASxxxxxxxx domiciled with Coinbase, a Virtual Asset Service Provider and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(3)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act.”

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to him— given the plea, prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia urged the court to convict and sentence him as charged.

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A prosecuting witness and a detective of EFCC, Ogunjobi Olalekan told the court that the evidence gotten in the course of the investigation was based on the printout from the defendant`s email, other digital currency platforms, his telegram page code-named `Digi-trade, including response from banks which was in a cumulative sum of $592,000 worth of cryptocurrency as at December 4, 2023. He added that the defendant was afterward invited to make statements under words of caution.

Justice Omotosho convicted and sentenced Arinze to three years imprisonment, with an option of three million naira fine, adding that 11.07 Bitcoins valued at $461,280.70 as of December 4, 2023, be restituted to the 34 victims from 13 countries as identified.

The judge ordered that a total sum of N37,977,108 domiciled in his bank accounts be forfeited to the Federal Government, including a plot of land located at plot No. 34 Anioma Layout, Umuchigbo Iji-nike in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State measuring approximately 1380.609 Squares meters.

According to the Commission, Arinze’s journey to the Correctional Centre started when he impersonated one Charlotte Brain and created a fictitious investment platform, digit rates.netxxxxxxxxxxxxxxon telegram and in that assumed character obtained cryptocurrency worth five hundred and ninety-two US Dollars from Coinbase exchange users, through his bitcoin address. 

EFCC said its victims of the fraudster are from Burundi, Cameroun, Costa Rica, Germany,  Ghana,  Hungary,  India,  Rwanda,  Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, the United States of America and Zimbabwe.