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Raymond Ekevwo, Meyiwa Ineh, Toluwani Adebakin, Aniekeme Etim and Mercy Abire, may face a maximum of twenty years imprisonment.
Reigning African Games 100m Champion, Raymond Ekevwo and four other Nigerian athletes in Aniekeme Etim, Toluwani Adebakin, Mercy Abire and Meyiwa Ineh, are on the verge of facing a maximum of twenty years imprisonment each, after being found guilty of internet fraud ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ in the USA.
According to the US District Court of Northern Georgia (Atlanta) release on August 25, 2022, the five athletes alongside Ngoni Chadyiwa from Zimbabwe, and other co-conspirators known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to unlawfully enrich themselves by conducting and participating in multiple complex financial fraud schemes.
The various fraud schemes included online romance scams, online charity scams, and other types of frauds.
The proceeds of these scams were transferred between known and unknown conspirators , both within the United States and from the United States, to various international locations including but not limited to Nigeria, through a complex network of both complicit and unwitting individuals.
They did knowingly combine, conspire and agree with each other and with other persons known and unknown to the Grand jury to commit offenses against the United States in violation of Title 18, United States code , Sections 1956 and 1957, to wit:
a. To transport, transmit, and transfer, and attempt to transport, transmit, and transfer, a monetary instrument or funds involving the proceeds of specified unlawful activity, that s, mail fraud and wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341 and 1343, from a place inside the United States to and through a place outside of the United States, and from a place outside of the United States to and through a place inside the United States, knowing that the funds involved in the transportation, transmission, and transfer represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity and knowing that such transportation, transmission, and transfer was designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds of specified unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(2)(B)(i); and
b. To knowingly engage and attempt to engage in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000, affecting interstate and foreign commerce, which was derived from specified unlawful activity, that is, mail fraud and wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341 and 1343, and knowing that the funds represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957.
CAREER PROFILES
Ekevwo initially got a scholarship to study at Oral Roberts University in the US, before transferring to University of Florida, where he made his mark in the collegiate circuit winning several medals for his school.
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His breakthrough performance came at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, by surprisingly winning the 100m title in an African Games record of 9.96s.
The 23-year old competed at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, and was a member of the 4x100m Bronze-medal winning relay team at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. He is professionally signed to Nike.
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Meyiwa Ineh, is one of Nigeria’s best talents in the Long and Triple Jumps, and got his college scholarship to study at William Carey University before transferring to University of Alabama this year.
The 2018 Youth Olympic Games Silver medallist won various conference titles for his school breaking records in the process, which made many pundits tip him as the next to break the National Records in both events.
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Aniekeme Etim, was a budding talent in the sprints with several age group continental medals in her name, which earned her a college scholarship to study at Oral Roberts University, but eventually graduated at William Carey University.
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She won various conference titles for both schools, but never competed at a major individual senior championship for the country.
Toluwani Adebakin also graduated from William Carey University, and competed in the 200m and 400m winning diverse college medals in the events.
He recently graduated from University of Southern Florida, with a double Masters degree in Business Administration and Sports Management.
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Mercy Abire-Matanmi initially gained a college scholarship to study at Oral Roberts University before transferring to Louisiana State University, where she was a multiple NCAA All-American in the Long Jump.
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Abire was so talented as a youth and junior athlete that she was rated next to Ese Brume, as the country’s next big names in the Long Jump.
All athletes will be sentenced on February 15, 2023 for their fraudulent acts.
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