by Nnaemeka Onyekachi
A United States District Court has sentenced Uche Victor Diuno, a 57-year-old Nigerian national, to five years in prison for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that targeted victims in over 20 countries.
This information was released in a statement by the U.S. Justice Ministry on May 15, 2024. The Ministry also indicated plans to initiate deportation proceedings for Diuno upon the completion of his sentence.
According to the statement, Diuno played a key role in orchestrating a scam that enticed victims with false promises of substantial investment funding and inheritances. His co-conspirators concealed their identities, impersonating executives and employees from prominent U.S. banks to trick victims into making payments for fictitious investment and money transfer agreements.
The scheme’s other participants laundered the fraudulent payments through U.S. bank accounts, ultimately redirecting the funds back to the leaders of the operation in Nigeria.