Fraudster bags two years jail term Over $32, 200 scam

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State has sentenced one Gerald Obielom, 25, to two years imprisonment for offences bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence and forgery.

Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo convicted the accused on each of the 11 count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC). He is to also forfeit the sum of $7,050 (seven thousand and fifty dollars) which the court ordered should be remitted to the victim, Minda Faltado, as restitution.

Mr. Obielom a.k.a Gerald Bosco was arrested on the February 18, 2011 by operatives of the EFCC following a complaint by Ms Faltado, a Filipina, that Mr. Obielom,using the name Gerald Bosco in collaboration with his cohorts, deceived her through an online relationship (love scam) and fleeced her of several sums of money totaling thirty two thousand, Four hundred USD ($32,400) of which Seven thousand and fifty USD ($7,050:00) was traced to Gerald.

The convict, an accountancy graduate, who is yet to perform the compulsory national youth service programme, confessed that he met the complainant on the internet. Having fostered a relationship with her, he started collecting money from her.

“I later introduced my friends Henry Ibeh, Christian Nwokolo, Sunday Chinwuba and Valentine Nweke (all at large) to her and they too started to chat with her using my email address.

“Minda has been sending money to Henry Ibeh who, in turn, has given me not less than $5000 USD. Christian Nwokolo collected a total sum of USD 7,700; Valentine collected a total sum of USD 11,504. Sunday collected a total sum of USD 6,400”, Gerald stated.