Yahoo-yahoo- Internet Fraudster Bags 6 Years Jail Term

Justice A. M Liman of the Federal High Court, Benin has convicted and sentenced one Larry Edomwonyi (alias Markus Erixson) to six years imprisonment. He bagged three years each on two of the six count charge of obtaining money by false pretense, preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The sentences are to run concurrently from the date of his arrest.

The convict was among the suspected internet fraudsters who were arrested by members of the operation Pulo Shield of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin in 2013 and handed over to the EFCC, for further investigation and prosecution.

The charge on which the accused was convicted reads, “ that you Larry Edomwonyi (aka Markus Erixson) on or about on the 15^th day of July 2012 at No. 56 Siluko Road, Benin City under the jurisdiction of this honorable court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of One Thousand United States Dollar (USD 1,000.00) from one Pat,  an American national through Western Money under the false pretense that you are a British Citizen and in love with her and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act”.