East Providence Man Among 6 Indicted in Scheme Linked To Nigeria

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — Six Rhode Island men accused of stealing millions from primarily elderly victims through various schemes and funneling it to Nigeria were indicted in federal court on Friday.

The U.S. Attorney's Office of Rhode Island said the men feigned romantic intentions, claimed victims had won sweepstakes and collected rent for properties they did not own, among the schemes.

"Elder fraud is an international crime that finds its victims wherever they live," United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman said "Federal, state and local law enforcement has made it a priority to do whatever it takes to track down and hold accountable fraudsters, particularly those who target our vulnerable populations, no matter where they are."

The grand jury returned a superseding indictment on Friday charging Adetunji Abudu, 34, and Olabode Shaba, 33, of North Providence, Dotun Olawale Alonge, 44, and Oladipupu Shodipo, 41, of Providence, Samson Ikotun, 33, of East Providence and Oluwaseyi Akintola, 35, of Moscow, Idaho with money laundering conspiracy and money laundering.

The East Providence and Johnston police departments were involved in the investigation.

"As in this investigation, oftentimes victims first reach out to their local police departments to report they have been swindled," Weisman said. "Led by the FBI and US Postal Inspection Service, nearly two dozen law enforcement agencies worked together to identify this group of fraudsters and to hold them responsible for their selfish, reprehensible actions preying on one of our most vulnerable population."

The U.S. Attorney's Office said the men used social media and dating sites to convince elderly victims they had romantic intentions and used the trust that was built to convince them to send money for business opportunities that did not exist or debts.

Other schemes involved asking for up front cash payments to release sweepstakes funds, collecting rent for properties they did not own and soliciting shipping costs for online items sold that were fraudulent.

"These individuals are accused of conspiring to scam dozens of unsuspecting victims all over the country, including right here in the Ocean State, out of millions of dollars, using a variety of fraudulent schemes that we traced right back to Nigeria," said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. "Every day, the FBI and our law enforcement partners are working hard to put these fraudsters out of business. This case should serve as a reminder to view every contact with a stranger with skepticism and don't trust anyone calling, texting or emailing with a deal that sounds too good to be true."

The scammers are accused of concealing the source and location of the funds through moving the money through multiple banks and businesses in Rhode Island and Idaho, and elsewhere. Much of the proceeds were eventually sent on to Nigeria. The men are also accused of using the money to buy vehicles that were sent to Nigeria.

Shodipo was arrested Monday morning and appeared before U.S. District Court in Providence. He was released on unsecured bond.

Ikotun, previously charged with conspiracy and money laundering, is detained in federal custody while awaiting trial. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 8.

Shaba, previously charged with conspiracy and money laundering, is on home detention awaiting trial. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 2.

Arrest warrants were issued for Abudu, Alonge, and Akintola.

Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. If you are a victim or know avictim of elder fraud, you can call 1-877-FTC-HELP or go to
ftc.gov/complaint.

For downloadable Elder Abuse Prevention resources and for information about community outreach programs in Rhode Island, visit the United States Attorney’s Office's Elder Justice Initiative webpage here.

A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.