Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - A Lagos State Special Offences Court, in Ikeja, on Tuesday, September 10, convicted and sentenced an American businessman, Marco Antonio Ramirez, to 74 years imprisonment, for defrauding victims of $1.2m, through an EB-5 visa scam and an additional $368,698.24, in fraud.
Justice Mojisola Dada, who handed down
the sentence, found Ramirez guilty on two separate consolidated charges brought
against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court ruled that the prosecution
had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
On the first charge, Ramirez was
sentenced to eight years each on counts one to six, and 10 years each on counts
seven and eight. On the second charge, he received 10 years each on counts one
to 12 for obtaining money by false pretence, and 10 years each on counts 13 to
16 for stealing.
The EFCC said Ramirez and his
companies, USA Now LLC, Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP, and USA Now Energy
Capital Group LP, obtained the said money from their victims by promising them
access to the Employment-Based Fifth Preference United States of America
Investor Programme, which would qualify them to be eligible for the issuance of
USA Green Card and permanent residency, but that the convict reneged on his
promise. Instead of fulfilling these promises, Ramirez converted the funds for
his personal use.
The American was said to have
committed the offences on February 5 2013 and April 18, 2013, in Lagos.
Dada, in her judgment, held that “The
convict dishonestly converted the money meant for investments to his personal
use.
“The prosecution has successfully proved
that the promises made to the victims were false, and the funds obtained were
under fraudulent pretences,” she said. The EFCC said Ramirez’s fraudulent
activities took place in 2013, noting that one of the victims, Godson Echegile,
lost $545,000 to Ramirez under the false pretext that it was a processing fee
for his investment, which would qualify him for a U.S. Green Card through the
EB-5 programme.
He was initially arraigned on 12
counts bordering on fraud and he pleaded not guilty. Later, the EFCC amended
the charge and Ramirez was re-arraigned on 16 counts on June 24, 2022.
While delivering judgment on Tuesday,
Sept. 10, Dada found Ramirez guilty as charged and sentenced him to 10 years
each on counts one to 12 bordering on obtaining by false pretence, and 10 years
each on counts 13 to 16 bordering on stealing.
The judge also found him guilty on
another separate amended nine-count charge bordering on $368,698.24
fraud.
In a separate case, Ramirez was found
guilty of defrauding another victim, Gabriel Ogie Edeoghon, for $250,000 on
July 26, 2013. He falsely claimed that the money was for an investment in the
USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, which would make Edeoghon eligible for a U.S.
Green Card through the EB-5 visa programme.
Ramirez received additional sentences
of eight years each on counts one to six and 10 years each on counts seven and
eight for this particular fraud.
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