Nigerian national gets six years for operating fraudulent romance schemes

Nigerian national Matthew Ejike Nwachukwu was today sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for operating several fraudulent romance schemes and package delivery scams that defrauded dozens of Guyanese of millions of dollars countrywide.

The sentence was handed down when he appeared before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool at the Wismar Magistrate’s Court. Nwachukwu was found guilty on two counts of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, contrary to Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8.01, and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on each count.

According to a release from the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Nwachukwu was charged and remanded in September 2022. One of the complainants, whose case was on trial, recounted that she had been befriended by a man claiming to be German (described as the mastermind), and that they later developed a long-distance relationship.

She recalled that in July 2022, her German partner informed her that he would be sending packages containing valuables via FedEx. Three days later, she received a call from a foreign number, stating that the packages had arrived in Guyana and that she would be required to pay the sum of GYD$155,000 to various persons at the McKenzie Post Office to uplift the package.

She related that she believed the packages to be genuine after being informed that they contained diamonds and other valuables, and that the payment was necessary to prevent the packages from being confiscated on the grounds of money laundering.

At the trial, SOCU led evidence showing that Nwachukwu was an accessory to the crime, arranging agents on behalf of the German mastermind to collect monies from the virtual complainant at the McKenzie Post Office.

The matter was prosecuted by SOCU prosecutors Aaron Daniels and Neville Jeffers, while Attorney-at-Law Lawrence Harris represented Nwachukwu. SOCU added that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the German mastermind and other accomplices.