Court In Lagos Jails USA Citizen 68 Years For Defrauding Nigerians $1.6m ~ OsazuwaAkonedo #Marco #news #Ramirez #USA https://osazuwaakonedo.news/court-in-lagos-jails-usa-citizen-68-years-for-defrauding-nigerians-1-6m/13/09/2024/ #EFCC Published: September 13th, 2024 Reshared: September 13, 2024 7:38 pm High Court sitting in Lagos State, Nigeria has sentenced an American citizen, Marco
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00:00High court sitting in Lagos State, Nigeria has sentenced an American citizen, Marco Ramirez
00:06to 68 years imprisonment for defrauding on suspecting Nigerians the sum of $1.6 million
00:13deceiving them with fake visa application.
00:16According to EFCC, the convicted American citizen carried out the fraudulent acts in
00:222013 using a company name.
00:25Details of the report and other news item as presented by the press unit of EFCC reads
00:31below those.
00:33Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offenses Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday,
00:39September 10, 2024, convicted an American businessman, Marco Antonio Ramirez, for $1.2
00:46million EB-5 visa scam.
00:49The judge also convicted him for a separate $368,698.24 fraud.
00:59The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, prosecuted Ramirez alongside his companies,
01:06USANOWLLC, Eagle Ford Installage Group LP and USANOW Energy Capital Group LP, for an
01:15alleged $1,235,000 EB-5 visa scam.
01:21The defendant allegedly obtained the money from his victims as processing fees for their
01:26investments in his company, USANOW Energy Capital Group LP, in the Employment Best Feeds
01:33Preference EB-5 United States of America Investor Program, which would qualify them to be eligible
01:39for the issuance of USA Green Card.
01:42The defendant, however, allegedly reneged on his promise.
01:47He was initially arraigned on a 12-count charge, to which he pleaded not guilty.
01:54He was also re-arraigned by the EFCC on June 24, 2022 on an amended 16-count charge.
02:02Count 13 of the amended charge reads, Marco Antonio Ramirez, USANOWLLC, Eagle Ford Installage
02:11Group LP, and USANOW Energy Capital Group LP, between the 5th of February 2013 and the
02:1818th of April 2013 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, dishonorably converted
02:25to your personal use the aggregate sum of $545,000 property of Godson Unyemeche Echejal.
02:33Count 14 reads, Marco Antonio Ramirez, USANOWLLC, and USANOW Energy Capital Group LP, between
02:43the 12th of July 2012 and the 7th of November 2012 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of
02:50this Honorable Court, dishonorably converted to your personal use the aggregate sum of
02:55$314,800 property of Abubakar Umasadik.
03:01Count 15 reads, Marco Antonio Ramirez, USANOWLLC, and USANOW Energy Capital Group LP, between
03:11the 19th of February 2013 and the 18th of April 2013 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction
03:18of this Honorable Court, dishonorably converted to your personal use the aggregate sum of
03:23$230,000 property of Abubakar Umasadik.
03:28The prosecuting counsel, M. S. Owende, tendered several documentary evidence and called witnesses
03:35to substantiate the allegations against him.
03:39Ramirez had also been taken to the dock to defend himself of the alleged fraud.
03:44In the course of the trial, he secured the services of Lauel Pedro, son.
03:50The matter, however, suffered several adjournments at the stage of adoption of final written
03:56addresses.
03:57The adoption finally took place on May 8, 2024.
04:02Subsequently, Justice Dada adjourned till today, September 10, 2024 for judgment.
04:09At the resumed on Tuesday, Justice Dada held that the prosecution proved its case against
04:15Ramirez beyond reasonable doubts.
04:18He was, thereafter, found guilty as charged and sentenced to 10 years each on counts 1
04:24to 12 bordering on obtaining by false pretense, and 10 years each on counts 13 to 16 bordering
04:31on stealing.
04:32Also, on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, Justice Dada found Ramirez guilty on separate amended
04:39nine-count charge bordering on an alleged $368,698.24 fraud filed against him by the
04:48EFCC.
04:50One of the counts reads, Marco Antonio Ramirez, USA NOW LLC, and USA NOW Energy Capital Group
04:59LP, on or about the 26th day of July, 2013 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this
05:06Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of $250,000 from Gabriel Ogi Edeugun
05:14under the false representation that the sum was his investment
05:19in your company, USA NOW Energy Capital Group LP in the Employment-Based Fifth Preference
05:25EB-5, United States of America Investor Program, which investment would qualify him to be eligible
05:32to a USA Green Card, and which representation you knew to be false.
05:38Another count reads, Marco Antonio Ramirez, on or about the 5th day of March, 2014 at
05:45Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the
05:51sum of $50,281.33 from Olunari Talabi, under the false representation that the said sum
06:01is to procure United States of America L1 Visa Program for him, which representation
06:06you knew to be false.
06:09He also pleaded, not guilty, to the charges when they were read to him.
06:14The Prosecuting Council, S.O.
06:17Daji, also tendered several documentary evidence against him and called witnesses to testify
06:22against him.
06:24The proceedings had also suffered several adjournments occasioned by the absence of
06:29the Defense Council, Lawal Pedro, San, and the inability of the defense to file its own
06:35final written addresses in good time, even after the Prosecution Council, L.S.O.
06:41Wedi and S.O.
06:42Daji, had filed theirs for the separate charges, respectively.
06:47After the adoption on May 8, 2024, Justice Dada also adjourned till Tuesday for judgment.
06:54Delivering judgment, Justice Dada held that the prosecution proved its case against Ramirez
07:00beyond reasonable doubts.
07:02Consequently, Justice Dada sentenced him to 8 years each on counts 1 to 6 and 10 years
07:08each on counts 7 to 8.
07:11Onukoyede vows to sanitize the banking sector.
07:14The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Onukoyede
07:21has declared the resolve of the Commission to deploy a robust enforcement of the country's
07:26financial laws and regulations towards sanitizing the banking sector and insulate it from rogue
07:31activities.
07:33He made the declaration on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at the Chartered Institute of Bankers
07:39of Nigeria CIBN 17th Annual Banking and Finance Conference,
07:45with the theme, Accelerated Economic Growth and Development, The State of Play and the
07:51Way Forward, held at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
07:57I went bold to tell you with every sense of humility that we are no longer folding our
08:02arms.
08:03As a matter of fact, some of the mind-boggling, major financial fraud and onslaught that have
08:09been carried out against the economy run through the banking industry.
08:13We are committed to working with the Institute in sanitizing the financial services sector
08:18through robust enforcement of our financial laws and insulating it from impact from criminals
08:24both from within and from without, he said.
08:27Speaking further, he reiterated that enforcement of extant laws and penal sanctions would be
08:33decisively applied in the cleansing endeavor adding that no one would be spared, including
08:39errant top officials of the banking and financial sector.
08:43In as much as we are ready to work with you to sanitize the system, we must also note
08:49that it is extremely important to state that when there are criminal infractions, penal
08:54sanctions will follow.
08:56We have compiled our documents.
08:59We have led the necessary investigations.
09:02We have concluded and very soon you will see some banks get prosecuted and top officials
09:07prosecuted.
09:08We need to just do something drastic to bring everybody in line.
09:13To do the right thing is extremely important.
09:16In a system where there are no penal sanctions for criminal infractions, that system will
09:22never survive.
09:23From our experience with the investigation of financial crimes involving members of the
09:28banking profession, there is gross contempt for regulations that bother on impunity.
09:35Operators secretly devise means to circumvent regulations and rules in a desperate bid for
09:41higher yields.
09:42Sharp practices such as forex round tripping, defrauding of investors through phantom charges
09:48and complicity in money laundering and illicit financial flow involving politically exposed
09:53persons continue to undermine the integrity of the sector and by extension the nation's
09:58economy.
09:59Look at yourselves in the mirror and leave this place with renewed commitment to professionalism
10:05and determination to provide services that will assist the growth and development of
10:10the Nigerian economy, he said.
10:13Speaking on the challenges facing the country, Vice President Cashew Shatema who represented
10:18President Bola Ametinubu stated that the country faced a host of interconnected challenges
10:23that affect all aspects of the national economy, ranging from high inflation, rising cost of
10:29living and infrastructural deficits and the ongoing effects of global economic shifts.
10:35He, however, notes that the challenges also present opportunities of growth and development.
10:43According to the President, the theme of the event will enable the government to evaluate
10:48where we stand as a nation, understand the root causes of our economic challenges and
10:54explore actionable strategies to accelerate growth and development sustainably and inclusively.
11:01The way forward, he said, required collaboration across all sectors, government, private industries
11:08and the civil society, adding that to achieve sustained economic growth, we must intentionally
11:15align our policies and actions with the changing global landscape.
11:20The government is committed to implementing reforms to enhance macroeconomic stability,
11:25reduce inflation and support infrastructural development.
11:30The President tasks the private sector on innovativeness and strategic investment in
11:35key growth areas of the economy as the government accelerates capacity building.
11:40We must also focus on capacity building, talent development and youth empowerment.
11:47The future of the Nigerian economy lies in the hands of our youths and we must equip
11:51them with the skills, knowledge and opportunities needed to drive our nation forward.
11:57The journey ahead will require determination, resilience and collective action.
12:02I am confident that with the continued support from the leadership of the Nigerian banking
12:07and financial sector, we will accelerate our economic growth and development.
12:13We will chart a path that ensures prosperity for all Nigerians and position our nation
12:18as a beacon of stability and opportunity in the African continent, he said.
12:24In his opening remarks, President of CIBN, Professor Files Olanrewaju, pointed to the
12:31Institute's increasing global influence, with the participation of several African
12:36countries in its yearly conference geared towards the evolution of actionable outcomes.
12:42In his keynote address, Tony Elumelu, Chairman of U.S. Holdings, acknowledged that 2024 has
12:49been a tough year for the country, marked by inflation and a trend in balance and called
12:55for long-term solutions rather than quick fixes.