A Nigerian man who was arrested in Flower Mound last year was sentenced this week to nearly three years in federal prison for federal fraud violations.
According to court documents, in March 2021, 24-year-old Sobanke Idris Sunday Adereti presented a false passport and a falsely procured certified check when trying to open a bank account in Flower Mound, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. The check was purchased by a fraud victim who was induced into sending money to Adereti, falsely known as “Robinson Elijah.”
Adereti, the son of a Nigerian traditional ruler, was likely acting as a money mule to cash the victim’s checks, according to the DOJ news release. He entered the United States on a visitor’s visa in 2018, which has since expired. When Adereti was arrested, he had additional passports and bank statements in other names in his possession. Investigators determined that Adereti was also connected to scams related to business email compromise fraud and other government program fraud.
Adereti pleaded guilty on Oct. 25, 2021, to passport fraud and attempted bank fraud, and he was sentenced on Wednesday to 33 months in federal prison.
“Scams to steal money are around every corner,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “Thanks to the keen eye of bank officials, Adereti was apprehended. Unfortunately, many of these crimes target our vulnerable elder population. It is up to all of us to share this awareness and look out for our greatest generation.”
