$9,200 online scam: Undergraduate bags 18-year jail

Justice Aishat Opesanwo of a Lagos State high court sitting in Ikeja, on Thursday, sentenced a young man, Michael Opaleye, to 18 months imprisonment for perpetrating a $9,200 Internet scam.Opaleye, who claimed to be a student of the University of Lagos, was tried and convicted for defrauding an American lady, Kathy Lunsford, of $9,200 on the pretext that he would marry her.When he was arraigned, Opaleye, who said he is a Computer Science undergraduate at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), had pleaded guilty to the charge of obtaining money by pretence and forgery.He had entered into a plea bargain with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and offered to pay the money to his victim.Justice Opesanwo, while delivering judgment, said the sentence would take effect from March 15, 2012, when he was first arraigned before the court.She also ordered Opaleye, after his jail term, to pay N100,000 monthly to the victim through the EFCC until he refunds the total amount involved in the scam.The convict is also to forfeit the electronic appliances and other items purchased with the proceeds of the crime, which were recovered from his house during the investigation, to the anti-graft agency.Counsel for EFCC, Mr Anselem Betram Ozioko, said Opaleye had, between 2008 and 2011, swindled Lunsford by making a phoney marriage proposal to her through e-mail communications.According to him, Lunsford had sent Opaleye the said amount as part of his travelling expenses from the United Kingdom to the United States of America to facilitate their wedding.Ozioko said the defendant forged a driver licence, which he claimed was issued by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and a bank draft, which he claimed was issued by the Bank of Ireland, Dublin.The offences, according to him, contravened and were punishable under Sections 419 and 467 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003.
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