BISMARCK – Nigerian national Christopher Agbaje has been sentenced to 142 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor on charges related to money laundering and aiding and abetting fraud. The charges stemmed from a sophisticated fraud scheme that defrauded a North Dakota law firm of nearly $200,000. Agbaje was also ordered to pay $188,935.74 in restitution.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!After being extradited from the United Kingdom in February 2024, Agbaje faced trial in May. A federal jury found him guilty of money laundering and aiding wire and mail fraud, though he was acquitted on separate charges of wire and mail fraud.
The fraud scheme, which took place between November and December 2020, involved Agbaje and others posing as a business owner in legal dispute. They deceived a North Dakota law firm into wiring over $198,000, a sum that Agbaje later attempted to conceal through an international wire transfer.
Authorities lauded the sentence as a warning to international fraudsters. U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider stated, “This strong sentence shows that international fraudsters cannot hide from justice,” while FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. emphasized, “The FBI will continue to work with partners across the globe to protect the financial security of the American people.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan J. O’Konek and Nick Baker.
