EFCC arraigns American for allegedly defrauding Nigerians
http://www.hrlnews.com/2019/10/efcc-arraigns-american-for-allegedly.html
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday
arraigned an American, Marco Ramirez, in an Ikeja Special Offences Court
for allegedly defrauding two Nigerians in a bogus green card scam.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ramirez alleged by the EFCC
to be a serial fraudster was previously arraigned on June 22, 2017,
before Justice Josephine Oyefeso, on 16-counts charge of conspiracy and
obtaining under false pretences.
He was alleged to have defrauded three Nigerians- Amb. Godson
Echejue, Mr Abubakar Umar and Mr Olukayode Sodimu of 545,000 dollars
from February 2013 to August 2013 in Lagos.
He had plead not guilty to the alleged offences and was admitted to bail in the sum of $250,000.
However, midway to the defendant’s trial, the case file was
transferred from Justice Oyefeso’s court to Justice Mojisola Dada of the
Special Offences Court for speedy conclusion of the case.
On June 20, he was re-arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada on an
amended 12-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining under false
pretences for defrauding Echejue, Umar and Sodimu of $1.2million.
He is standing trial in all the criminal suits alongside his
companies – U.S.A Now LLC, Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP and U.S.A Now
Capital Group.
Ramirez and his companies have however been arraigned on Monday by
the EFCC on a fresh nine-count charge of obtaining money by false
pretences.
He allegedly defrauding two more Nigerians – Gabriel Edeoghon and Oludare Talabi of 388,838 dollars.
According to Mrs Vera Aigboje, the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC,
Ramirez committed the alleged offences in 2013 and 2014 in Lagos.
“From May 22 to July 26, 2013, Ramirez on three occasions received a total of 291,290 dollars from Edeoghon.
“From Feb. 28, 2014 to April 17, 2014 Ramirez on six occasions received $97,549 from Talabi.
“He falsely represented to the defendants that the funds were
investments into his companies in the Employment-Based Fifth Preference
(EB-5) United States of America Investor Programme.
“Ramirez also falsely informed the complainants that their investments will qualify them to be eligible for a USA Green Card.
“The offences contravenes Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,” Aigboje said.
Following the arraignment, the defence counsel, Mr Gboyega Oyewole,
SAN, requested that the American enjoy the bail he had been granted by
Justice Josephine Oyefeso in 2017.
“He has been on administrative bail in the earlier matter since 2017
on conditions which we feel are enough to guarantee his presence before
this honourable court.
“The condition given by Justice Oyefeso is that he be admitted to
bail in the sum of 250,000 dollars which was complied with and he was
never absent in court,” Oyewole said.
Justice Dada obliged the SAN’s request and ordered that Certified
True Copy (CTC) of Justice Oyefeso’s bail ruling be properly presented
before the court.
She adjourned the case until Oct. 10 for trial.
Immediately after the arraignment, the EFCC’s “sister case” against Ramirez for defrauding three Nigerians commenced.
Mr Usman Aliyu, an EFCC investigator testified as the first prosecution witness.
Usman an investigator with the Economic Governance Unit of the
anti-graft agency, while being led in evidence by Mr M.F. Owele, the
prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, described how Ramirez defrauded the
complainants.
He said that in November 2015 while he was working at the
Intelligence and Special Operations Section (ISOS) of the EFCC, the
anti-graft agency received a petition from the law chambers of Festus
Keyamo, SAN, about Ramirez’s alleged fraudulent activities.
“The petition was written on behalf of Echejue, Umar and Sodimu. It
was alleged that sometime in 2013, the first defendant (Ramirez)
organized a seminar in Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.
“At the seminar, he made a representation that whoever is desirous to
have an American green card should invest 500,000 dollars and a 45,000
dollars processing fee into the American economy in a programme known as
the EB-5 programme.
“My Lord the EB-5 programme is actually a US citizenship and immigration service.
“It that states that any eligible immigrant that wants to invest in
the American economy in areas that have low employment rate will be
entitled to a two-year stay after which a green card is provided,” he
said.
Aliyu stated that as part of the EFCC’s investigation into the scam,
the complainants were contacted and they provided documents and evidence
of payment of the funds they were scammed of.
The EFCC investigator noted that frantic efforts were also made to
apprehend Ramirez by the anti-graft agency and that the American Federal
Bureau of Investigations (FBI) revealed to the EFCC that Ramirez was
serial conman.
“After frantic efforts to locate the first defendant, he was eventually arrested at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja.
“An FBI agent was invited, he came, had a discussion with the team
and he informed us that the first defendant and his companies are facing
similar cases in the United States of America,” Aliyu said.
The prosecution tendered 36 documents including Ramirez’s statement,
statements of the complainants, proof of payment from the complainants,
documents from the FBI and EFCC as exhibits.
Justice Dada adjourned the case until Oct. 8 and Oct. 10 for continuation of trial.
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