The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has successfully prosecuted and sentenced Eze Harrison Arinze before Justice J.K Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Arinze was convicted for defrauding 34 victims across 13 countries, amassing a total of $592,000 through impersonation and false pretense.
This information was relayed in a statement posted on the EFCC’s X handle (formerly Twitter) on Friday.
The victims affected hail from Burundi, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Rwanda, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, the United States of America, and Zimbabwe.
The one charge read, “That you, EZE HARRISON ARINZE alias Charlotte Brain, sometime between April 2021 and December 2022 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, did fraudulently impersonate one Charlotte Brain a purported owner of digitrades.netxxxxxxxxxxxxxx investment platforms on telegram and in that assumed character obtained cryptocurrency worth $592,000.00 from Coinbase exchange users, through your bitcoin address – 333AgHuT8wAhowRBQZ2ASxxxxxxxx domiciled with Coinbase, a Virtual Asset Service Provider and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(3)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act”.
Upon hearing the charge, the defendant pleaded guilty. Subsequently, prosecution counsel Christopher Mshelia requested the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
Responding to the plea, Justice Omotosho sentenced Arinze to three years’ imprisonment, offering the alternative of a N3,000,000.00 fine.
Additionally, the judge ruled for the restitution of 11.07 Bitcoins valued at $461,280.70 as of December 4, 2023, to the 34 victims spanning 13 countries.
Furthermore, the judge directed the forfeiture of a total sum of N37,977,108 from Arinze’s bank accounts to the Federal Government.
Additionally, a plot of land situated at plot No. 34 Anioma Layout, Umuchigbo Iji-nike in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, was also ordered to be forfeited.
