Justices R.M. Aikawa and Darius Khobo of the Federal High Court and State High Court, respectively, sitting in Kaduna, have convicted and sentenced the quartet of Anthony Chukwu, a.k.a. Carmelita Luna; Madaki Shamun Ismail, a.k.a. Will Beal; Samson Aliyu, a.k.a. John Dunwell; and Christopher Israel, a.k.a. Bernie Dallas, to various jail terms for internet fraud.
They were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on one-count separate charges, bordering on impersonation, obtaining by false pretense and money laundering.
Chukwu’s charge read: “That you, Anthony Chukwu (a.k.a. Carmelita Luna), sometimes in December 2023, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did directly acquire the sum of N520,000.00 (Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira) from Nelro Balmoria and other unsuspecting persons through false identity, which you knew that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, and you thereby committed money laundering, an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention And Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”
Aliyu’s charge reads: “That you, Samson Aliyu (a.k.a. John Dunwell), between January and May 2024, at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence, to wit: falsely presented yourself as John Dunwell, a white man and an investment broker with AZ Finance Investment Company. In that assumed character, you cheated several persons, including one Lhes, of the total sum of P2,000.00 (Two Thousand Philippine Pesos) via Instagram (an online social media application), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same law.”
They pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, upon which prosecution counsel Y.J. Matiyak and M.J. Argungu urged the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Aikawa convicted and sentenced Chukwu to five years imprisonment or a fine of N300,000, while Ismail bagged five years imprisonment or a fine of N500,000. In addition, both convicts forfeited the sum of N520,000 and $310, respectively, being proceeds of their crimes, to the federal government, as well as an iPhone XR and Samsung S21 mobile phones, being instruments of their crimes.
Justice Darius Khobo, on his part, convicted and sentenced Aliyu to three years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 and sentenced Israel to three years imprisonment or a fine of N250,000. In addition, Aliyu forfeited $50, being the proceeds of his crime, to the federal government, while both forfeited their phones, being instruments of their crimes, to the federal government.
Chukwu, Aliyu, and Israel were arrested in Kaduna, while Ismail was arrested in Jos following credible intelligence on their fraudulent internet activities.
