Two crime fighters accused of running money for romance scammers

*The badge of a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal, Isidore Iwuagwu, accused of collecting money from romance scams. Image: U.S. DOJ & Ampere News*

BY KERRY TOMLINSON, AMPERE NEWS

One is a Special Deputy United States Marshal.

The other, a tax auditor supporting criminal investigations.

But prosecutors say between them, these two crime fighters took in thousands of dollars from victims of romance scams.

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Wheelers & Dealers

Civil engineer Lassen Moore messaged people on LinkedIn and other social media platforms from his home in London. He displayed pictures of himself with a small dog and a bright smile. And he appeared to fall in love very easily.

Lassen Moore was fake, of course, a creation of romance scammers using stolen pictures from Portuguese TV personality João Bãião. He told his victims he was away in Krakow, Poland, working on a construction project. But bad luck struck, his machinery broke down, and he was desperate to borrow $85,000 --- or whatever money you happen to have available --- to fix it.

In a post on Facebook, one victim said she lost $2,000 to his pleas.

"He begged me for any amount of money to borrow that he assured me that he will pay me back by March 20th. He even told me that he can probably even double it to $4K [that] he will pay me back," she said.

Under his instructions, she sent the money to a Chase Manhattan bank account under the name of Isidore Iwuagwu.

"When I asked him, ‘Who is Isidore Iwuagwu?’ he said that he's the one supplying him those replacement parts he needed," she explained.

But Iwuagwu is not a parts dealer. He is a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal in Washington, D.C., according to the Department of Justice. And, court documents say, a money launderer dealing in romance scam victim payments.

Armed and Serious

As a Special Deputy, Iwuagwu carried a gun and could make arrests like Washington D.C. police, according to an affidavit filed in his case. On top of that, he was a contractor with the Department of Justice, helping protect the department's critical facilities, the DOJ said.

His side business was much more shady, according to investigators. Here is how the scheme worked as illustrated in court documents:

Scammers contacted people online and tricked them into romance, often pretending to be U.S. military personnel stationed in the Middle East.
Once they drew their targets in , they pushed for money, saying, for example, that a payment would allow them to leave the military earlier and return home from the Middle East.
They then told their victims to send money to Iwuagwu, claiming at times that he was their military commander who could facilitate an early departure from duty or an attorney who could help with a transaction.

Court documents show images supporting the prosecutors' case, like a victim's check made out to Iwuagwu, a victim's message confirming they'd wired him the money, and receipts showing the money arrived in his accounts.

He was not the romancer himself, according to investigators, but a funds collector, gathering money from victims and sending it to the scammers in other countries.

He opened multiple bank accounts at places like Citibank, Bank of America, NASA Federal Credit Union, and Navy Federal Credit Union. When questioned about the large quantities of money coming in to his accounts, he said people were donating money for an event or trying to buy a car, according to court documents.

What's Next?

Iwuagwu pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. The U.S. Attorney's office said he is in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced April 11.

But he is not the only crime fighter-by-day involved in this case.

Army & Auditor

Though London-based civil engineer Lassen Moore is not real, scammers did use a real man's name --- Sergeant Major Jose Velazquez --- and his pictures to manipulate people.

Investigators said one of the scammers claiming to be Velazquez told a victim in San Diego that he was serving in Iraq and could not access his bank account due to rebel activity.

The victim eventually sent him $8,000 that she thought was going to representatives of the U.S. Army. But that money went into a bank account owned by a man named Charles Egunjobi, according to the criminal complaint filed in the case.

Egunjobi is a tax auditor for the District of Columbia who also helps with criminal investigations as part of his job, the Department of Justice said.

Prosecutors do not say he romanced victims online, but they do say he took one victim's money and worked with Iwuagwu in processing funds from other victims.

He's charged with the Operation of an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business. His case is still going through the court process, but news reports say he is on leave from his job. as auditor.

Answers from Attorneys?

Ampere News asked Egunjobi’s attorney, Robert Bonsib, about the case and this section from the complaint:

“During this investigation, DOJ-OIG and the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) learned of a romance scam involving subjects based in West Africa and the United States. Law enforcement spoke with 21 different women, many of whom are senior citizens, that allege they are victims of the scam. Many of the victims reported unique commonalities in the scheme to defraud, such as meeting the subject online and the subject claiming to be a deployed member of the U.S. Armed Forces,” the complaint reads.

“Every victim provided, or attempted to provide, money to the subject with whom they were speaking,” it continues. “On one documented occasion, victim funds were received directly by EGUNJOBI.”

Bonsib emphasized that this section does not say that Egunjobi knew the money was illegally obtained.

“The section you quoted alleges [that] Mr. Egunjobi received funds – it does not, and should not, be construed to suggest that he received any funds that he knew were the product of a romance scam or any other illegal activity,” said Bonsib.

The attorney for Iwuagwu, Eugene Gorokhov, declined to comment at this time.

Last words --- for now

Both Iwuagwu and Egunjobi have connections with Nigeria, but romance scammers come from many countries, including the U.S. Though the victims in this romance scam appear to be mostly female and older, romance scammers look for targets both male and female, and of all age groups.

Scammers are having success by "cold-contacting" people on non-dating sites and apps like LinkedIn and Words with Friends, so it's wise to be wary of strangers who fall in love at the drop of a text message. Especially if they ask for money.