In St. Louis, a Texan implicated in a romance scam that defrauded a Missouri woman of $1.2 million received a three-year federal prison sentence on Tuesday, coupled with a restitution order to repay the embezzled funds.
Rotimi Oladimeji, aged 38 and residing in Richardson, Texas, received his sentencing a year after pleading guilty to two charges of mail fraud, two charges of wire fraud, and one charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri in a press release.
Oladimeji, along with two accomplices, identified the victim on the Silver Singles online dating site, according to prosecutors. Pretending to be a Belgian national working as a veterinarian and animal behaviorist residing in St. Louis, they arranged a meeting with her but ultimately failed to follow through with their plans.
The fraudsters alleged that the individual required financial assistance as he was purportedly restricted from departing the United Arab Emirates, where he had traveled for a business transaction. According to federal prosecutors, the victim incurred a loss of nearly $1.2 million. While Oladimeji had received approximately 20% of the funds, he is obligated to fully reimburse the victim unless his two co-defendants contribute to the repayment, stated U.S. Attorney’s office spokesperson Robert Patrick.
Born in Nigeria, Oladimeji faces the possibility of deportation following his release from prison, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Olumide Akrinmade and Adewale Adesanya have both entered guilty pleas to federal charges. Akrinmade received a 15-month prison sentence and was directed to reimburse $46,500. Adesanya, on the other hand, was sentenced to four years in prison and mandated to repay $1.5 million for involvement in multiple fraud schemes.