Nigerian man bags one year imprisonment for defrauding American of $115000 in Bitcoin scam

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jabi, Abuja, has convicted and sentenced Praise Humphrey Igbo, also known as Jessica Allen, to one year in prison for internet fraud amounting to $115,000.

The judgment was delivered by Justice H.L. Abba-Aliyu on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.

Humphrey who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a one-count charge, bordering on internet crime, criminal impersonation.

The convict was said to had obtained money under false pretence and money laundering to the tune of $115,000 (One Hundred and Fifteen Thousand United States Dollars).

Igbo’s journey to the Correctional Centre started when a petitioner,  East Baton Rouge Parish (Aaron Bakker), an American, alleged that a the convict pretending to be one Jessica Allen, a purported crypto investor, stole $115,000 worth of Bitcoin from him on Blockchain.com after presenting an investment opportunity to him, which turned out to be fake.

His charge reads: “That you, Praise Humphrey Igbo sometime in 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, with intent to defraud, did cheat by pretending to be one Jesisca Allen, a successful crypto currency trader in the United State of America and in that assumed character, fraudulently obtained 5.26 Bitcoins worth One Hundred and Fifteen Thousand United State Dollars ($115,000) by false pretence, property of Aaron Baker, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act Abuja, Cap 532 LFN 2004 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Act.”

When the charge was read, Igbo pleaded guilty, prompting EFCC counsel M.K. Hussain to request his conviction and sentencing.

Justice Abba-Aliyu sentenced Igbo to one year in prison but gave him the option of paying a fine of ₦1 million.

She also ruled that funds recovered from Igbo—$16,110 in cash, $67,487.79 worth of cryptocurrency, and money in his bank account—should be used to restitute the victim through the American Embassy.

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