A man who admitted his involvement in a scheme to defraud businesses in Connecticut and around the country has been sentenced to three years in prison.
U.S. District Court Judge Janet C. Hall imposed the sentence Friday on Stanley Hugochukwu Nwoke, 28, of Nigeria in a proceeding in New Haven.
Nwoke, who pleaded guilty in May to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, must also pay $662,054 in restitution.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Nwoke was part of a conspiracy aimed at hundreds, and possibly thousands, of chief financial officers, controllers, and other managers with fiduciary authority at businesses, nonprofits and schools in Connecticut and around the U.S.
The conspirators sent emails to the victims requesting money, and made it appear as though the communications were coming from executives within the same organization. The emails specifically asked for money to be wired to bank accounts that were actually controlled by the conspirators.
In 2015, emails were sent to a Torrington company’s controller, prompting that individual to send more than $500,000 while under the mistaken belief the transfer request came from the victim’s CEO. A Waterbury-based company was also victimized, court records show.
Two other Nigerian nationals were previously sentenced in connection with the scheme.
Adeyemi Odufuye was sentenced to 45 months of imprisonment and was ordered to pay $921,498 restitution. Another defendant, Olumuyiwa Yahtrip Adejumo, was sentenced last year to 15 months of imprisonment.
Nwoke’s defense attorney, Francis O’Reilly of Fairfield, had asked for leniency, noting how his client was a first-time offender. According to O’Reilly, Nwoke grew up in poverty in Nigeria, and met Odufuye, who recruited him.
“Stanley is a young man who chose the wrong way out of a difficult situation,” O’Reilly said in a pre-sentencing memorandum to the court.
According to O’Reilly, Nwoke “deeply regrets” his actions.
“At times, he was able to convince himself that his crimes were victimless, but today he realizes that was never the case,” O’Reilly said.
Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com
