Nigerian man convicted for $198k fraud in North Dakota

A Nigerian citizen, Christopher Agbaje, has been convicted for his role in a fraudulent scheme involving nearly $200,000 against a law firm in North Dakota, USA.

The case, prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota, revealed that Agbaje & his associates falsely posed as a business owner in a legal dispute with a Bismarck company, leading to the fraudulent activity

The fraud, which occurred between Nov snd Dec 2020 involved a deceptive Citibank check for $198,850 that was deposited into the law firm’s account. Following the deposit, the firm was directed to transfer $198,336.68 to Agbaje’s associate.

ALSO READ: Police arraign Credit officer for alleged fraud

To obscure the trail, a fak3 $180,000 international transfer was initiated. When the scheme was uncovered, Agbaje allegedly advised his partner to continue the deception as law enforcement investigated the matter

Extradited from the UK to North Dakota in Feb 2024. On September 11, 2024 he was sentenced to 142 months in prison & ordered to pay $188,935.74 in restitution to the law firm