SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A man has been sentenced after he helped scam hundreds of romance fraud victims out of millions of dollars.
Clinton Chukudi Uchendu, 26, of Dunwoody, GA, was sentenced Monday to 28 months in prison and ordered to pay $170,000 in restitution.
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Uchendu was convicted in March for his involvement in the conspiracy. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering, mail fraud, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. He personally moved $299,000, the Utah District Attorney’s Office said.
According to court documents, from February 2018 to July 2018, Uchendu provided U.S. based accounts to collect money from victims. He moved the funds to conceal where the money was coming from and going, “often in a complex manner,” the DA’s office said.
The object of the conspiracy was accomplished though social manipulators, referred to as “Yahoo Boys,” who set up fake profiles online, developed relationships with their victims, gained the victims trust and then asked the victims for money using a variety of false pretenses.
Yahoo Boys usually operate overseas. In this case, they operated in Nigeria — pretending to be U.S. soldiers, international businessmen, or celebrities.
Yahoo Boys rely on their coconspirators in the U.S., who have U.S. bank accounts to assist them. These individuals are referred to as “pickers,” the DA’s office said.
As a picker, Uchendu reportedly provided accounts to collect funds from the victims and to add layers to conceal the source and destination of the funds, to avoid being flagged by banks.
Uchendu collected money into bank accounts and then laundered the funds to Nigeria or other destinations, the DA’s office said.
From March 13, 2018, through July 31, 2018, the U.S. calculated the whole group caused $2.4 million in losses to victims.
Uchendu’s co-defendant, Princess Eziyi, is scheduled to be sentenced August 26 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah said Uchendu caused “profound and permanent” harm to victims.
“My office is committed to protecting our citizens, and with our law enforcement partners, we will prosecute these crimes to seek justice for the victims and deter others from committing fraud,” Higgins said.
Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI said scammers operating under the guise of companionship and romance are “especially cruel” because of the emotional and financial toll on the victims — many of whom are seniors.
“The FBI is committed to holding perpetrators accountable, in addition to conducting prevention efforts through outreach and education,” Sinha said.
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
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