U.S. Authorities extradite Samuel Ugberaese over romance scam

Samuel Ugberaese has been extradited from Nigeria to the United States to face federal charges relating to a cross-border romance scam that defrauded victims in the U.S. and other countries.

Ugberaese was arrested by the FBI following his extradition.

According to court documents, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC) returned the indictment against him on January 22, 2021, and United States Magistrate Judge Brian S. Myers ordered him detained pending trial.

The indictment alleges that Ugberaese, along with co-conspirator Oluwadamilare Kolaogunbule, a naturalized U.S. citizen, orchestrated a romance scam, using false stories and promises to defraud victims into transferring money. They are accused of moving the illicit funds through a network of bank accounts, including those registered to purported export companies, to conceal and disguise the source, ownership, and location of the proceeds.

Ugberaese faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, he could face up to 40 years in prison.

The arrest and extradition were made possible through international collaboration, including the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, South African Police Service, FBI Abuja Attaché Office, U.S. Department of State, and Nigerian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, Attorney General’s Office, and INTERPOL Nigeria.

The case is being prosecuted by the Fraud Section of the EDNC U.S. Attorney’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig handling the proceedings