Two internet fraudsters were convicted Tuesday in federal court for an international conspiracy that included hacking, romance fraud, and stealing a Memphis woman’s home payment.
Married couple Caesar Oruade, 38, and Ayana Saunders, 36, of Hawthorne, California, were convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money in a Memphis federal court Tuesday.
The conviction stems from a 2017 computer hack of a real estate firm in which the couple stole $76,000 from a Memphis woman and diverted the funds to a California bank account.
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) followed the money and found it had been sent to a number of other U.S. bank accounts before being wired to to an account in Nigeria. Other victims across the U.S. and Canada said they were similarly victimized by the scheme in attempts to purchase real estate.
Bank accounts belonging to Saunders were generally the last domestic stop for the funds before landing in the Nigerian account of Oruade. The couple said the money came from investors, funding Nigerian films through their production company.
The couple’s schemes also included romance fraud. In these, a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust only to, ultimately, use it to steal their money. Victims from across the U.S. and Canada testified they’d fallen victim to the con, directed to send money to an online love interest of friend as insurance on a pending loan or to help their “friend” in an emergency.
For all of their schemes, more than $500,000 flowed through Saunders’ bank account. She would take a cut and forward the rest to Nigeria, according to officials.
The pair were convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money. Each conviction carries a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing is set for July 21st.
“Targeting domestic and foreign fraudsters who scam innocent people out of their hard-earned money is a priority for the FBI,” said Douglas Korneski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Memphis Field Office. “These convictions demonstrate the effectiveness of state and federal law enforcement working together to protect the public from real estate and romance scammers and bring those responsible to justice.”
Investigation assistance on the case was given by the United States Secret Service and the Los Angeles Division of the FBI, and the Los Angeles Police Department.
