ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)—Two Nigerian nationals were found guilty of defrauding $560,000 from an Albuquerque resident, the Department of Justice announced on Monday.
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According to court documents and evidence presented at the four-day trial, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, used a fake profile on the dating website eHarmony.com to start a romantic relationship with the victim. The duo then requested money from the victim, claiming the money would be used to complete a construction project in Malaysia and allow them to return safely to the United States.
The DOJ said the victim sent approximately $560,000 to various accounts in the United States, Canada, and Malaysia between January 2016 and April 2017.
Ogunlaja and Daramola will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, they each face up to 20 years in prison.