The Abuja Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Tuesday, May 6, 2019 secured the conviction of one Precious Osarumen, an internet fraudster.
He was convicted by Justice A.I Akobi of the FCT High Court, sitting in Kwali, Abuja for an attempt to obtain money by false pretence.
Osarumen posed online as John Wilson and Edward Riggs Barnett, a 52-year-old soldier with the Armed Forces of the United States to defraud his victims.
The charge Reads: “That you Precious Osarumen (alias Edward Riggs Barnett, alias John Wilson) sometime in 2018, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, fraudulently impersonated by representing yourself to be Edward Riggs Barnett, a 52-year-old soldier with the Armed Forces of the United States from Atlanta Georgia, deployed to Afghanistan on a peace-keeping mission, in order to facilitate your attempt to obtain financial gains; a fact you know to be false and that you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(3) and punishable under Section 22(4) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc Act, 2015)”.
He pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, Justice Akobi convicted and gave him a fine of N150,000 and ordered that the items recovered from him, which include Hp Pavilion laptop and HP Elite Book) be forfeited, sold and the money paid into the account of the Federal Government.