ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, a 29-year-old Nigerian residing in South Africa, entered a guilty plea to charges related to a business email compromise scheme that aimed at causing losses exceeding $6 million. Simon-Ebo arrived in the United States after extradition from Canada on 12 April, 2023.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, along with Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore and Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the U.S. Secret Service – Washington Field Office.
According to the plea agreement, Simon-Ebo and his co-conspirators conducted the BEC scheme between February 2017 and July 2017.
They gained unauthorized access to email accounts, sent false wiring instructions from spoofed emails, and deceived victims into sending money to controlled bank accounts.
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In addition, they conspired to commit money laundering by moving the fraudulently obtained funds to various accounts, hiding the source of those assets.
The intended loss for transactions involving Simon-Ebo was nearly $7 million, with an actual loss of over $1 million. He had control over $45,925 of the funds.
Simon-Ebo is obligated to pay a $45,925 money judgment and full restitution to the victims, which is agreed to be at least $1,072,306.
He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies.
Sentencing is scheduled for 29 November, 2023, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the investigative efforts of HSI’s Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes prosecuting the federal case.