{"id":3020,"date":"2020-06-20T09:42:03","date_gmt":"2020-06-20T08:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedailyleaks.com\/?p=3020"},"modified":"2020-06-20T12:42:56","modified_gmt":"2020-06-20T11:42:56","slug":"invictus-obi-celebrated-nigerian-young-billionaire-pleads-guilty-to-11m-fraud-in-us-risks-20-year-jail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedailyleaks.com\/invictus-obi-celebrated-nigerian-young-billionaire-pleads-guilty-to-11m-fraud-in-us-risks-20-year-jail\/","title":{"rendered":"Invictus Obi, celebrated Nigerian young billionaire, pleads guilty to $11m fraud in US, risks 20-year jail"},"content":{"rendered":"
Nigeria’s celebrated young billionaire, Obinwanne Okeke, popularly known as Invictus Obi, has pleaded guilty to $11 million (estimated N4.2 billion) fraud in the US.<\/p>\n
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at Dulles International Airport, had arrested Okeke on his way out of the US over an\u00a0alleged $11 million internet fraud in 2019.<\/p>\n
Okeke after his arrest was charged to court and he appeared before Justice Robert J. Krask, the judge, who presided over his case.<\/p>\n
During his first appearance before Justice Krask at the eastern district of Virginia court, Okeke, pleaded not guilty to charges brought before him that he was involved in computer-based fraud between 2015 and 2019.<\/p>\n
Thereafter, Justice Krask, who admitted his claim, ordered his remand at the prison, but in a dramatic twist to his earlier held not guilty claim, in his latest court appearance, Okeke pleaded guilty to a two-count-charge of internet fraud in the US.<\/p>\n
ALSO READ:\u00a0<\/strong>Interpol: Nigerians react to young \u2018Billionaire\u2019 Hushpuppi, Woodberry \u2018arrest\u2019 in Dubai<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Okeke, the Nigerian young billionaire, who was once listed by Forbes as one of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans, would be sentenced on October 22 and could spend a maximum of 20 years in an American jail.<\/p>\n \u201cOkeke, 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe conspirators obtained and compiled the credentials of hundreds of victims, including victims in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cAs 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 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.<\/p>\n \u201cOkeke participated in the effort to victimize Unatrac through fraudulent wire transfers totaling nearly $11 million, funds which were transferred overseas.<\/p>\n \u201cOkeke pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit wire fraud,\u201d the court documents read.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nigeria’s celebrated young billionaire, Obinwanne Okeke, popularly known as Invictus Obi, has pleaded guilty to $11 million (estimated N4.2 billion) fraud in the US. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at Dulles International Airport, […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3021,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,3,5,2],"tags":[277,436,482,547],"coauthors":[25],"class_list":{"0":"post-3020","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-features","8":"category-latest-news","9":"category-metro","10":"category-top-news","11":"tag-campus","12":"tag-court","13":"tag-fbi","14":"tag-invictus-obi"},"yoast_head":"\n