Nigerian extradited to US faces up to 40 years for alleged romance scam
A Nigerian man, Samuel Ugberaese, has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to romance scams and wire fraud. The US Department of Justice announced that he could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted. Authorities allege that Ugberaese and his associates targeted female victims in the US, using false stories to defraud them. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
What happened
- Samuel Ugberaese, also known as “Putsammy”, “Putput”, and “Sammy”, was extradited to the US by the Nigeria Police Force.
- The US Department of Justice said he was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 22, 2021.
- Investigations revealed that Ugberaese and his accomplices operated a criminal syndicate between 2014 and 2018, targeting victims in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
- He faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, with a possible sentence of up to 40 years if found guilty.
- The US DoJ acknowledged the support of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation in the extradition process.
