As his trial neared its conclusion, Nigerian national Uche Raymond Okoye yesterday buckled and admitted that he indeed defrauded a woman of over $6 million under the false pretense of having a package for her.
Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy, of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), which had instituted the charges, was due to call her final two witnesses when Okoye changed his plea to guilty.
Magistrate Annette Singh has deferred sentencing until November 11, when defence attorney Melville Duke will submit a plea in mitigation on behalf of his client.
The charge against Okoye state that on 10 occasions between October 15 and November 16, 2020, he obtained sums totaling $6,287,900 from Surujdai Balkaran, by falsely claiming that he was in possession of a package intended for her.
SOCU officers have said that the Nigerian man is part of a criminal organisation that has scammed unsuspecting Guyanese victims out of millions.
He is facing a barrage of other fraud-related charges where is accused of fleecing a number of other women with the same story of having packages for them.
SOCU’s case is that Okoye would send Facebook friend requests to the women and subsequently seek to communicate with them via WhatsApp.
The court had heard that the women were told of some very expensive gifts being sent to them and were advised to make contact with someone purporting to be employed at a shipping company about the box having arrived at the airport for them.
The court was further told of women being informed that they would have to pay various sums of money in order to uplift the box.
Balkaran made several payments and after each occasion she was told of another reason more funds were needed to be transferred.
The Guyana Police Force, in a press release, had stated that Okoye is suspected to be part of a criminal network involving Nigerian nationals who collaborate with other associates and solicit cash from their victims by promising high valued merchandise to be delivered following the payment of a charge or fee.
The police also informed that Okoye had entered Guyana from Brazil without presenting himself to the nearest immigration officer.
According to the police, the criminal network has been operating for the past six months in Guyana and has links to Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Venezuela, among other countries.
