Invictus Group CEO, Obinwanne Okeke, Pleads Guilty to $11m Fraud

• Nigerian entrepreneur, Obinwanne Okeke, Invictus Group’s chief executive, who was indicted by the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) for an $11 million internet fraud, has pleaded guilty to the charges. 
• Okeke and others were engaged in an email scam targeted at Unatrac Holding Limited, Caterpillar’s export sales office for heavy industrial and agricultural equipment.
• The Invictus boss having pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when the sentence is passed on October 22nd.

Nigerian entrepreneur, Obinwanne Okeke, Invictus Group’s chief executive, who was indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for an $11 million internet fraud, has pleaded guilty to the charges.

On Thursday, June 18, 2020, he agreed to charges for a computer-based fraud scheme that caused $11 million in losses to his victims.

This was announced in a publication by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Virginia, Department of Justice.

The court documents show that Obinwanne Okeke, 32, and his co-conspirators were engaged in these acts through various computer-based frauds between 2015 and 2019. The conspirators collected and compiled identities of hundreds of victims, including those in Virginia ‘s Eastern District and several other locations.

As part of the scheme, Okeke and others were engaged in an email scam targeted at Unatrac Holding Limited, Caterpillar’s export sales office for heavy industrial and agricultural equipment. In April 2018, A Unatrac executive became a victim of a phishing email that allowed conspirators to capture login credentials. The conspirators sent fraudulent requests for wire transfer and fake invoices attached. Okeke participated in the scheme against Unatrac through fraudulent wire transfers of almost $ 11 million, which was sent overseas.

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The Invictus boss having pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when the sentence is passed on October 22nd. For federal crimes, the actual sentences are typically less than the maximum penalties. A judge of the federal district court shall determine the sentence after taking into account the US Guidelines on Sentencing and other statutory factors.

Obinwanne Okeke, who made it into Forbes Africa’s Under-30 list in 2016, had initially denied any crime against American citizens or companies and argued the US court’s jurisdiction.

The FBI, had also in August last year, released a list that contained about 80 Nigerians, who were involved in money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit fraud amongst others.

The FBI also published a list in August last year, showing about 80 Nigerians involved in money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit fraud among others. It can also be recalled that only two days ago the U.S. Department of State released the names of six Nigerians charged with internet fraud of more than $6 million against American citizens and businesses.