A Nigerian national, Christopher Agbaje, has been extradited from the United Kingdom to face charges of defrauding a North Dakota law firm of nearly $200,000.
The United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Agbaje, on Monday, February 12, made an initial court appearance in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota on charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering.
Agbaje is accused of leading a scheme that connived to steal nearly $200,000 through false pretences and wire transfers.
According to court documents and a release from the North Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office, Agbaje, posing as the “governor” of a fictitious company, established a fake attorney-client relationship with a Mercer County law firm.
The document stated that Agbaje falsely represented himself as a business owner in a legal dispute with a Bismarck company, establishing a fictitious attorney-client relationship with the law firm.
He then claimed to be the “governor” of ACE Telecommunications & Consultancy Services LLC, a Washington-based company. Through fabricated emails, Agbaje made false statements and promises to the law firm.
According to the release and court records, the firm received a fraudulent Citibank cheque for $198,850, which was deposited into its account.
Later, they transferred $198,336.68 to Agbaje’s alleged accomplice, Ome John Etue. Agbaje allegedly then directed his partner to conceal the funds even further by using an international wire transfer.
“Subsequently, at the purported business owner’s request, the law firm sent a $198,336.68 wire transfer to Christopher Agbaje’s business partner. A short time later, Christopher Agbaje directed his business partner to fraudulently initiate a $180,000.00 international wire transfer with the intent to conceal the location, ownership, and control of the law firm’s money,” the release said.
Agbaje was then indicted by a grand jury in March 2022. After his arrest in Nigeria, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted in securing his extradition to the United States.
His alleged co-conspirator, Ome John Etue, was also indicted in August 2021, but his case was dismissed in June 2023 for undisclosed reasons.
However, during Agbaje’s first court appearance, US Magistrate Judge Clare R. Hochhalter ordered that the defendant be detained pending trial, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the ongoing investigation into this case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek is handling the prosecution.
