The Sconi

Richard Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced on June 17, 2025, that Otaniyen Iduozee, a Nigerian citizen in the U.S. on a student visa, was sentenced to 42 months in prison. Iduozee had pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering under 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h).

Court records reveal that the case involved a "romance scam," where fraudsters target elderly or vulnerable Americans by feigning romantic interest online. The fraudster gains trust over time and then requests financial help for fabricated urgent needs. These loans are never repaid, leading many victims to lose their life savings.

After obtaining funds from victims, the defendants laundered them through multiple transactions and transferred them overseas. Iduozee played a role as a money launderer within this conspiracy by managing fraudulent bank accounts used to process millions of dollars from victims' funds back to Nigeria.

Chief United States District Court Judge Pamela Pepper noted the extensive nature of such fraud schemes and their severe impact on victims during sentencing. Following his sentence, Iduozee agreed to be removed from the United States.

"Individuals and groups who engage in these types of schemes not only cause financial loss but also shatter the trust of their victims, inflicting multiple layers of trauma and harm," said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. "I commend the courage of the victims in speaking up and commend the hard work of all involved in seeking to hold the conspirators accountable for their actions."

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca Taibleson and Carter Stewart.