The combined team of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service made the announcement in a release seen by Peoples Gazette.

The Nigerians, Osakpamwan Henry Omoruyi (36) and Osaretin Godspower Omoruyi (34), were indicted on July 20 for their roles in expansive online fraud schemes targeting individuals in the U.S., including romance scams and pandemic unemployment assistance fraud.

The Omoruyis were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions after being charged in March 2021 “by criminal complaint.”

According to the charging documents, the defendants, along with other co-conspirators, allegedly participated in a series of romance and other online scams designed to defraud victims into sending money to accounts and debit cards they controlled.

They allegedly used the accounts to collect fraudulent pandemic unemployment benefits in the names of beneficiaries who did not apply for such benefits.

According to the U.S. authorities, the charge of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $1 million “or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture.”

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The charge of wire fraud provides “for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture,” noted the authorities.

It added that the charge of unlawful monetary transactions “provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, or twice the value of the criminally derived property, whichever is greater, and forfeiture.”