GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — A New Jersey couple and a Washington man have been sentenced for their roles in a 2023 extortion scheme that stole nearly $87,000 from a Washington County, Tennessee, victim and ultimately contributed to the victim’s death. According to the Department of Justice, 36-year-old Chinagorom Onwumere, 29-year-old Salma Abdalkareem, and 37-year-old Stephen O. Anagor received a combined 20 years in prison and were ordered to repay $388,500 in restitution.
Court documents state that Anagor and Onwumere, both originally from Nigeria, met in June 2023. Anagor recruited Onwumere and his wife, Abdalkareem, to help a relative in Nigeria carry out romance scams aimed at elderly victims across the United States. The scheme involved impersonating well-known celebrities online and convincing victims they were in romantic relationships. Scammers also posed as high-ranking officials, including a former FBI director and former U.S. attorney general, to pressure victims into sending money.
One of the victims, a man from Jonesborough, believed he was communicating with a famous celebrity and that they had developed a romantic relationship. Members of the conspiracy later posed as law enforcement agents, falsely claiming the celebrity’s management had filed a complaint and that the victim was under investigation. Through harassing emails, scammers demanded large payments to clear the supposed charges and keep the matter confidential. The victim ultimately sent $86,900—his entire life savings—to Onwumere and Abdalkareem.
The scammers then claimed the celebrity had been hospitalized from stress over the “investigation” and insisted the victim was responsible for medical bills. In final messages, the victim said he had no money left and intended to end his life. He died by suicide on October 23, 2023.
Abdalkareem received a 51-month sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two money laundering charges. Onwumere was sentenced to 84 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aiding and abetting aggravated stalking resulting in death, and multiple money laundering offenses. Anagor received 108 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aiding and abetting aggravated stalking resulting in death, and aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft.
Following their prison terms, Onwumere and Anagor will serve five years of supervised release, while Abdalkareem will serve three years.
