Nigerian extradited from Ghana over alleged role in bank fraud scheme convicted by US Court
Ghana on June 28, 2022, extradited Blessing Adeleke to the United States following his arrest on March 14, 2022.
A Nigerian man who was extradited from Ghana to the US, to face charges for his alleged role in a bank fraud scheme was on Wednesday found guilty by a US court.
“A federal jury today convicted Blessing Adeleke, 31, of Nigeria, of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and 16 counts of bank fraud for his role in a conspiracy to obtain stolen financial information, make fraudulent and unauthorized purchases of retail goods and gift cards and steal funds from victim bank accounts in Northern Ohio and elsewhere,” a US Department of Justice statement said.
Ghana on June 28, 2022, extradited Blessing Adeleke to the United States following his arrest on March 14, 2022.
US attorneys said between January 2014 and October 2016, Adeleke, who served as an administrator for an online marketplace, Shad0w.info, obtained stolen credit card information and purchased items, such as retail goods and gift cards for himself and co-conspirator Kylie Ann Harlow.
“Court documents state that Adeleke and Harlow shipped retail goods purchased with the stolen financial information to Harlow and others and, in some instances, returned the goods and gift cards to retail stores to obtain cash. Adeleke and Harlow eventually forwarded the fraudulently obtained goods, gift cards, and cash to other members of the conspiracy for their personal enrichment.
Adeleke gained access to at least one bank account belonging to a victim in Pepper Pike, Ohio, from which he sent 16 fraudulent checks,” the statement said.
He is due for sentencing on January 18, 2023, as his co-conspirator was sentenced in June 2021 Kylie Ann Harlow after she pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme.
“The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support and assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Ghana. The U.S. Department of Justice thanks its Ghanaian partners, specifically the Ministry of Interior and the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, for supporting this extradition. The FBI Legal Attaché in Accra and the U.S. Marshals Service also provided significant support and assistance to Adeleke’s extradition.”
