A Nigerian man has been found guilty of conspiring to defraud a North Dakota law firm through fraudulent digital transfers.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota, Christopher Agbaje, along with accomplices, impersonated a business owner involved in a legal dispute with a Bismarck company between November and December 2020.
They fabricated an attorney-client relationship with the firm, which eventually received a counterfeit Citibank check for $198,850.00. The firm deposited this check and, following the purported business owner’s instructions, wired $198,336.68 to Agbaje’s business partner.
After the transfer, Agbaje directed his partner to execute a fake $180,000 international transfer to obscure the funds’ location and ownership. When informed of an ongoing fraud investigation, Agbaje reportedly advised his partner to “gain leverage,” “press on,” and “claim naivety.”
Agbaje was extradited from the United Kingdom to North Dakota in February 2024, facing five charges. While he was acquitted of Wire Fraud and Mail Fraud in May, he was convicted of Money Laundering, Aiding and Abetting Wire Fraud, and Aiding and Abetting Mail Fraud.
On September 11, Agbaje was sentenced to 142 months in prison and ordered to pay $188,935.74 in restitution to the law firm.
United States Attorney Mac Schneider commented, ““This strong sentence shows that international fraudsters cannot hide from justice. When North Dakotans are the victims of fraud, our prosecutors and law enforcement partners will work internationally to hold defendants accountable in a federal courtroom in Bismarck or Fargo.”
Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis added: “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that no fraud scheme is beyond the reach of justice, no matter its complexity or scope. Those who engage in fraudulent schemes will be met with swift and decisive action. The FBI will continue to work with partners across the globe to protect the financial security of the American people from those who seek to exploit it.”
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