MA U.S. Attorney Charges RI Man in Connection with Email Fraud Scheme Targeting MA Lawyer

MA U.S. Attorney Charges RI Man in Connection with Email Fraud Scheme Targeting MA Lawyer

A Rhode Island man was charged Tuesday in Boston in connection with a conspiracy to launder funds derived from Business Email Compromise fraud schemes, announced Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling.

Sayon Balogun a/k/a “Oshine,” 32, a dual citizen of the United States and Nigeria, was indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy.

Balogun was initially charged by criminal complaint on May 31, 2019, and arrested in Florida on June 10, 2019.

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He has been detained pending trial. 

The Investigation

According to court documents, in January 2018, Balogun’s co-conspirators gained access to email accounts belonging to a Massachusetts attorney engaged in real estate closings.

The co-conspirators then mimicked (spoofed) the real estate attorney’s email account and sent emails to a Massachusetts resident who was the purchaser in a legitimate real estate transaction.

The spoofed emails directed the Massachusetts real-estate purchaser to wire transfer $531,981 (which the purchaser believed was for a legitimate real estate transaction) to a bank account held by a California woman.

The California women then sent $60,000 to an account in the name of “David Tecum,” a fraudulent identity used by Oghenetchouwe Adegor Ederaine Jr., one of Balogun’s co-conspirators, who received fraud proceeds at Balogun’s direction.

Ederaine has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and money laundering conspiracy charges.