By Divine Sam
A U.S. court has sentenced Babatunde Ayeni, a Nigerian internet fraudster, to 10 years in prison for his involvement in an online scam. The District Court for the Southern District of Alabama handed down the sentence after Ayeni pleaded guilty to the fraud charges. In addition to the prison term, Ayeni was ordered to pay nearly $20 million in restitution to the victims of his scheme. This restitution amount, $19,599,969, is to be shared among the individuals and entities he defrauded, although the court acknowledged Ayeni’s inability to pay the full sum immediately, waiving the interest on the restitution.
The ruling also involves Ayeni’s co-conspirators, Feyisayo Oyindola Oginsanwo and Yusuf Olasunkanmi Lasisi, who were part of the fraudulent activities. Although Ayeni stopped his scam operations in April 2019, the court determined that his actions warranted severe penalties.
The case adds to the growing list of Nigerians prosecuted and jailed for similar fraud offenses in the U.S. Following his sentence, U.S. immigration authorities will decide whether Ayeni will be deported after completing his prison term or allowed to remain in the U.S. under strict supervision for up to three years.
Leave a Reply