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Justice Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced 18-year-old internet fraudster, Hassan Usman Olamilekan, for laundering $800 obtained from a gift card scam.
Olamilekan was sentenced on Friday, October 30, four days after he was arrested during a sting operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki.
He was among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 26.
The EFCC arraigned him on a one-count charge of money laundering, contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The charge reads, “That you, Hassan Usman Olamilekan, sometime in 2026 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly disguised the origin of the sum of $800 (Eight Hundred United States Dollars) in gift cards, which sum forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022”.
He pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, EFCC operative, Ebuka Abanga, reviewed the facts of the case before the court found him guilty.
Justice Dipeolu sentenced him to a fine of N200,000 and ordered him to remit N1 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He is to remain in the correctional centre pending payment of the fine and restitution.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71 phone recovered from him.
An EFCC investigation revealed that Olamilekan, who claimed to be from the Republic of Benin but was born in Nigeria, operated several social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage.
The commission said he met his victim, Gary Brewer, a United States citizen, on Zangi where he impersonated a white American woman identified as Julie Leach.
He told Brewer he had won a lottery prize of $250,000,000 and needed money to activate the winnings before claiming the prize. He subsequently persuaded him to send gift cards.
The defendant admitted selling the gift cards through the Cardsonic application, converting them to baira and transferring the proceeds to his grandmother’s OPay account.
He confessed to benefiting $800 from the scheme.
