{
  "id": 725248,
  "title": "US-based Nigerian risks 20 years’ jail over $2.7m fraud",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/us-based-nigerian-risks-20-years-jail-over-2-7m-fraud",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-13T03:16:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/us-based-nigerian-risks-20-years-jail-over-2-7m-fraud/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 41-year-old Nigerian man, Babajide Adesayo, faces a potential 10-year prison sentence after being convicted by a federal jury of laundering over $2.7 million obtained from victims of romance fraud and online scams. According to the United States Department of Justice, Adesayo, who resides in Douglasville, Georgia, was found guilty on August 6, 2026, after an eight-day trial. He was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 16 counts of transactional money laundering. The alleged offenses took place between April 2020 and September 2021, targeting primarily elderly online victims who were deceived into sending money under false pretenses. Adesayo's co-defendant, Efemena Igbe, a Nigerian national, allegedly received the funds and transferred most of it to Adesayo's accounts. Adesayo is set to be sentenced on November 20, 2026, and faces up to 20 years' imprisonment per conspiracy count, up to 10 years per transactional money laundering count, and a consecutive sentence of up to 10 years for offenses committed while on release.",
  "summary": "A 41-year-old Nigerian, Babajide Adesayo, faces up to 20 years in a US prison after being convicted of laundering over $2.7m from romance and online fraud Read More: https://punchng.com/us-based-nigerian-risks-20-years-jail-over-2-7m-fraud/",
  "key_points": [
    "Nigerian man Babajide Adesayo convicted of $2.7m romance fraud.",
    "Convicted on August 6, 2026, for money laundering conspiracy.",
    "Faces up to 20 years' jail in November sentencing."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The conviction marks a significant step in disrupting a fraud network that targeted vulnerable online victims, primarily the elderly, and now puts Adesayo at risk of a lengthy prison term.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "US-based Nigerian risks 20 years’ jail over $2.7m fraud",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/us-based-nigerian-risks-20-years-jail-over-2-7m-fraud-726531",
        "published": "2026-08-13T03:26:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}