Marvellous Eghaghe was arrested in Houston, Texas, in connection with international wire fraud and money laundering schemes, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced Tuesday.
According to the indictment filed in the case, Eghaghe created a Texas company and an associated bank account that he used to funnel money fraudulently obtained from victims in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Alabama, Texas and Colombia.
Part of the scheme involved “spoofing,” Shappert said, in which perpetrators intrude upon victims’ business email communications by setting up an email address similar to that of one of the legitimate participants, thereby diverting money transfers to unknown subjects inside and outside of the United States. The indictment also alleges that in another instance, co-conspirators forged more than $2 million in checks from the account of an unsuspecting business.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Brooks.