On June 17, 2025, Otaniyen Iduozee, a Nigerian citizen residing in the United States on a student visa, was sentenced to 42 months in prison. The sentence is for his involvement in laundering money obtained from a fraud scheme. This announcement came from Richard Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Iduozee had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering under U.S. law.
The court records reveal that the fraud scheme was a “romance scam,” often targeting elderly or vulnerable Americans. In such scams, perpetrators use fake or stolen identities to engage victims through online platforms by feigning romantic interests. Over time, they gain trust and affection before fabricating urgent financial needs to solicit funds from their victims under false pretenses.
Once the funds were obtained from victims in this case, they were laundered through various transactions and moved overseas. Iduozee’s role involved establishing and managing fraudulent bank accounts that processed millions of dollars from victims’ funds. These laundering activities were aimed at transferring the money back to Nigeria.
During the sentencing hearing, Chief United States District Court Judge Pamela Pepper noted the broad impact of these fraud schemes and their devastating effects on victims. Upon serving his sentence, Iduozee has agreed to be removed from the United States.
“Individuals and groups who engage in these types of schemes not only cause financial loss but also shatter the trust of their victims, inflicting multiple layers of trauma and harm,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “I commend the courage of the victims in speaking up and commend the hard work of all involved in seeking to hold the conspirators accountable for their actions.”
The investigation into this matter was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca Taibleson and Carter Stewart.
