A Nigerian national who admitted to obtaining over $6 million from a local woman through a scam was jailed on Friday.
Uche Raymond Okoye, also known as Uche Parker, was sentenced by Georgetown Magistrate Annette Singh to one year in jail on each of the charges.
The charges against Okoye stated 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.
He confessed during his trial on November 3. 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. During a plea in mitigation Uche, who was represented by attorney Melvin Duke, agreed to repay the victim some of the money he defrauded her.
The Nigerian national is currently facing several other fraud charges before the Magistrate’s Court. There are other matters still being prosecuted against him by the Special Organised Crime Unit. Among the remaining charges against him are romance package scams and pyramid schemes, which are reportedly being operated in Guyana by Nigerian nationals who are in Guyana illegally. According to the police, the criminal network has been operating for 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.
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 a 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. It was further disclosed that Balkaran made several payments and after each occasion they were told of another reason more funds were needed to be transferred.
The police have also said that Okoye entered Guyana from Brazil without presenting himself to the nearest immigration officer.
