A North Carolina federal jury has convicted 34-year-old Nigerian national, Saheed Sunday Owolabi, for his role in an online criminal network that defrauded Americans through romance scams and laundered illicit proceeds. The verdict was delivered in Wilmington, following a trial that revealed the extent of his involvement in coordinated cyber fraud operations.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle announced the conviction in a statement issued by the Department of Justice, describing the case as a reminder of how internet anonymity is being weaponized to target unsuspecting victims. Boyle condemned the financial harm done to ordinary citizens, pledging continued collaboration with federal agencies to pursue similar offenders.
Court documents and testimony showed that Owolabi, along with unnamed accomplices, used fake online identities—often posing as women—to cultivate emotional relationships with targeted men across the United States. Once trust was established, victims were persuaded to send funds or share sensitive personal and banking information.
Investigators explained that accounts supplied by the victims were later used to move proceeds from unrelated scams, allowing Owolabi’s group to disguise the origin of the stolen money. In one incident, he joined a scheme that siphoned more than $120,000 from a North Carolina resident, while hundreds of other individuals were defrauded in similar operations.
The case detailed how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, fraudsters accessed information about an imminent home closing and sent falsified emails instructing the victim to transfer payments to an account under their control. After the victim complied, the funds were routed through accounts associated with Owolabi and his associates, with Owolabi directing how the money should be dispersed—including allocations to himself.
Chat exchanges uncovered by authorities further connected him to the romance scam. In those messages, Owolabi acknowledged his fraudulent activities, only to discover he had been communicating with another scammer. That individual taunted him and advised him to “learn how to do a clean job.”
Following his conviction on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, Owolabi could receive up to 40 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for January 2026.
The investigation was handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, while the prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad DeVoe.