Edo 2023: APC fields candidate for election indicted in U.S. of internet fraud, money laundry

The All Progressives Congress (APC) may have undermined President Muhammadu Buhari anti-corruption war when the ruling party cleared an aspirant for the Edo State House of Assembly, Elvis Uadiale, indicted for an international fraud scheme in the United States in 2012 to contest its primary election. The APC aspirant was identified among some Nigerians indicted and prosecuted for internet fraud in the US.

A charge sheet filed by the United States Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, revealed that Uadiale and others were prosecuted for conspiracy to commit internet fraud and money laundering.

The prosecution document exposed Uaduale to have “worked in cahoots with others to defraud hundreds of unsuspecting persons in the U.S. and other countries.”

The internet fraud syndicate Uadialewas part of, according to the court document, used conventional communication media such as mail, telephone, or the internet to swindle consumers seeking loans, employment, financial awards, among others.

The chief judge of the Pennsylvania court, Christopher Conner, in February 2019, found a member of the internet fraud syndicate, Price Efosa, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the U.S., guilty and sentenced him to 63 months imprisonment.

The syndicate, known as “mass marketers”, based in the U.S., were advertising fake bet winnings, advance fees for fake loan grants and other internet fraud schemes to fleece people in 2002.

The U.S. court in a statement identified other indicted Nigerians to include Susan Osagiede, Itohan Agho-Allen, and Ikejiani Okoloubu.

The prosecutor told the court that members of the syndicate being prosecuted were previously agents of the Western Union and MoneyGram, two international money transfer agencies. They acquired individual experiences from the agencies to process and cash the received illicit funds without revealing their identities

They fleeced about 410 victims of over $1.4 million.

Another U.S. court document ‘superseding indictment’ revealed that Uadiale was operating MoneyGram and Western Union agencies known as Diale Investment in the Greater Brooklyn in the New York between 2008 and 2009.

The court document exposed: “During the period May 2008 through September 2008, Western Union senders reported that seven money transfers totaling $9,985 paid at Diale Investments were induced by fraudulent mass marketing activity.

“Western Union suspended Uadiale’s authority to process Western Union money transfers during the September 2008 Anti Money Laundering compliance issue.”

Also, Uadiale was revealed to have recruited an unindicted co-conspirator to process fraudulent money transfers on behalf of him and other unidentified mass marketers. The U.S. superseding indictment sheet indicated that in 2008 alone, MoneyGram senders complained they were defrauded over 100 illicit money transfers totaling over $327,000 paid to Uadiale’s agency. Thus, Uadiale was declared complicit in mass marketing fraud and money laundering.

The court document signed by Peter Smith, a U.S. Attorney, revealed: “In or about January 2009, MoneyGram terminated Uadiale’s contract to process MoneyGram transfers due, in part, to Uadiale’s apparent complicity in mass marketing fraud and money laundering activity.”

APC leaders ignored the U.S. court documents which shows clearly Uadiale was indicted for money laundering and internet fraud in the US and cleared him to contest the primaries for the Edo State House of Assembly ticket.

Members of the APC screening committee for Edo State aspirants, turned on blind eyes in screening and clearing Uadiale to contest for the party’s ticket for the state assembly election with the burden of indictment for international internet fraud and money laundering in the U.S.

The Edo State APC chairman, David Imuse, and the state publicity secretary, Igbinigie Uwadia, were evasive to providing clarifications on the controversial aspirant.

However, Uadiale was gathered to have argued that his political enemies were at work to dig up the internet fraud report. He was said to have admitted being once indicted for money laundering and mail fraud but was silent on whether he was acquitted by the court.

Uadiale was cited to have stated: “I’m contesting an election and my opponents can do whatever they wish to do.

“I know they are at work but when they are done, I will definitely start my own.”

Without proof of being acquitted by the court, Uadiale maintained that he was only mentioned in the international wire fraud allegation.