A Lagos State Special Offences Court, in Ikeja, on Tuesday, September 10, convicted and sentenced an American businessman, Marco Antonio Ramirez, to 74 years imprisonment, for defrauding victims of $1.2m, through an EB-5 visa scam and an additional $368,698.24, in fraud.
Justice Mojisola Dada, who handed down the sentence, found Ramirez guilty on two separate consolidated charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
On the first charge, Ramirez was sentenced to eight years each on counts one to six, and 10 years each on counts seven and eight. On the second charge, he received 10 years each on counts one to 12 for obtaining money by false pretence, and 10 years each on counts 13 to 16 for stealing.
The EFCC said Ramirez and his companies, USA Now LLC, Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP, and USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, obtained the said money from their victims by promising them access to the Employment-Based Fifth Preference United States of America Investor Programme, which would qualify them to be eligible for the issuance of USA Green Card and permanent residency, but that the convict reneged on his promise. Instead of fulfilling these promises, Ramirez converted the funds for his personal use.
The American was said to have committed the offences on February 5 2013 and April 18, 2013, in Lagos.
Dada, in her judgment, held that “The convict dishonestly converted the money meant for investments to his personal use.”
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