By Abidemi Samuel
Kindly share this news
In a landmark judgment, the US District Court for the Southern District of Alabama has sentenced Babatunde Ayeni, a Nigerian internet fraudster, to 10 years in prison and ordered him to pay approximately $20 million in restitution to his victims ¹. Ayeni, who pleaded guilty to the fraud charge, was handed a 120-month sentence by US judge Terry Moorer on October 31.
Although Ayeni had stopped scamming people since April 2019, the court ordered him to pay $19,599,969 million as restitution to all the individuals and entities he defrauded. The court waived the interest required on the restitution, citing Ayeni’s inability to pay.
Ayeni was asked to pay the restitution alongside his co-conspirators, Feyisayo Oyindola Oginsanwo and Yusuf Olasunkanmi Lasisi. The US immigration authority will determine whether Ayeni will be deported immediately after serving his sentence or if he will be allowed to stay in America under three years of supervised release with stringent rules.
Ayeni’s prosecution for fraud on foreign soil adds to a growing list of Nigerians who have been jailed by various US courts for similar crimes. Other notable cases include Bola Bobo Chicago, Ray Hushpuppi, Mr. Woodberry, and Abidemi Rufai, an ally of Ogun governor Dapo Abiodun who was released last month.
Kindly share this news!!!