How A Nigerian Man Ran A Multi-Million Dollar Scam From France — Now Jailed In The U.S.

How A Nigerian Man Ran A Multi-Million Dollar Scam From France — Now Jailed In The U.S.

Newton Ofioritse Jemide, a Nigerian residing in France, has been sentenced to three years and five months in a U.S. prison for his role in an $8 million disaster fraud scheme.

Judge Deborah K. Chasanow of the U.S. District Court handed down the sentence on Tuesday.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ), Jemide and his accomplices stole the identities of American citizens to open Green Dot accounts, which were then used to claim federal disaster benefits intended for wildfire victims between 2016 and 2017.

The DoJ explained that Jemide, along with co-conspirators in Nigeria, instructed U.S.-based partners to purchase hundreds of Green Dot debit cards.

It added,“Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States.

“As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and the other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot debit cards.

“Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission.”

They also attempted to hide their identities by using others to conduct transactions, withdrawing funds from various bank and store locations, and issuing money orders to different individuals and businesses.

Giving an update on the trial, the US DoJ in a statement obtained on its website on Wednesday disclosed that “FEMA dispersed $500 per claim on the Green Dot debit cards that the co-conspirators purchased for a total of at least $8 million.”

After pleading guilty, Jemide received a 41-month prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $520,431 in restitution and forfeit $311,036 to the U.S. government.

“US District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Newton Ofioritse Jemide, 47, a Nigerian national extradited from France, to 41 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits.

“Jemide will also serve three years of supervised release, and pay $520,431.83 of restitution, and a forfeiture money judgment was entered against him in the amount of $311,036.64,” the statement concluded.