A Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, has sentenced a man, Daniel Iweregbu, to 18 months imprisonment for defrauding some ladies to the tune of $166,000 in fake romantic affairs.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Lagos Zonal Office, secured Iweregbu’s conviction before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court.
The convict created many social media accounts and presented himself as Larry Pham, a personality he used in defrauding his unsuspecting victims, mostly females, online to the tune of $166,000 between July 2017 and June 2018.
According to the EFCC on Thursday, he was arraigned on December 4, 2020, on three counts bordering on cheating, obtaining by false pretence and retention of proceeds of crime.
This followed a report received by the commission from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI, about his involvement in computer-related fraud.
In court, he pleaded “guilty” to the charge preferred against him during his arraignment.
In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala Buhari, urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Delivering her judgment, Justice Taiwo convicted and sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N300,000.
The defendant was ordered to pay the sum of $15,000 in favour of the United States Consulate, to refund part of the money he had unlawfully benefitted.
