Nigerian international fraudster, Obinwanne Okeke, popularly known as Invictus, will be sentenced on Tuesday, February 16, by a US court for carrying out multi-million-dollar scam running into millions of dollars.
The 33-year-old Okeke who was once listed on the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 and described as an inspiration to many Nigerian youths before he was exposed, is said to have defrauded American citizens through fraudulent wire transfer instructions in a massive, coordinated, business e-mail compromise scheme.
He will be sentenced by a Virginia Court and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if he is convicted
Okeke was arrested on August 6, 2019, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), after an intensive investigation that spanned over two years. Though he initially pleaded not guilty, he later changed his stance and pleaded guilty to two charges of Internet fraud in the US that caused $11m losses to his victims.
Before his exposure and subsequent arrest, Okeke who was the CEO of Invictus Group, was a big player who had investments in oil and gas, agriculture, private equity, alternative energy, telecom and real estate, with presence in three countries including Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia.
In December 2020, a Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the permanent forfeiture of N235,451,969 found in his bank account.
