Sometimes, the saying "crime doesn't pay" hits harder than we expect. Recently, a Nigerian man named Christopher Agbaje found himself on the wrong end of the law after a sneaky fraud scheme targeting a North Dakota law firm. And now? He’s staring at a whopping 142-month prison sentence.
Agbaje didn’t just stop at the scam. Oh no, he went full throttle with a plan so intricate it seemed straight out of a thriller. Along with a few accomplices, he posed as a business owner locked in a legal dispute with a Bismarck based company, tricking a law firm into thinking they were dealing with a legitimate client. And that’s where things got messy.
It all went down between November and December 2020. These guys even managed to convince the firm to deposit a fraudulent Citibank check for $198,850 into their account. Smooth, right? Well, not so much after they persuaded the firm to transfer over $198,000 to one of Agbaje’s partners.
But here’s where the plot thickens: after getting their hands on the money, Agbaje instructed his partner to initiate a fake $180,000 international wire transfer, hoping to bury the money trail. When law enforcement began sniffing around, Agbaje wasn’t about to roll over. He told his partner to “play innocent” and “gain leverage.” Classic move, but things didn’t go his way.
Fast forward to February 2024, and Agbaje was extradited from the UK to North Dakota. Five charges were on the table. Though he managed to dodge a couple – Wire Fraud and Mail Fraud – he couldn’t escape the hammer of justice on Money Laundering and Aiding and Abetting Wire Fraud. A four-day trial in Bismarck wrapped up in May, and by May 18, he was found guilty.
Now, along with serving time, Agbaje's wallet will also take a hit. He’s been slapped with a $188,935.74 restitution order to the law firm. Not exactly pocket change.
It’s a wild reminder that even the most clever schemes can catch up with you. What are your thoughts? Does the punishment fit the crime? Let’s get the conversation rolling below!