Federal prosecution complete after former WCU student-athlete sentenced in fraud
A former William Carey University athlete was one of the last accused participants in an international fraud involving romance, the military and fake goods to be sentenced in the case.
Aniekeme Etim, 24, of Marietta, Georgia, was given three years of probation and a roughly $75,000 fine and ordered to pay more than $123,000 in restitution for her role in the scheme.
Etim, 24, was sentenced last week at William M. Colmer Federal Courthouse in Hattiesburg before U.S. District Judge Kristi Johnson. She had pleaded guilty aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmission business.
As early as May 2018, Etim and others conducted illegal overseas money transfers from money taken from men and women who found themselves victims of numerous scams, including giving donations to fake charities.
"The victims of the fraud schemes would be instructed to send money to individuals based in the United States, who would then transfer the money ultimately back overseas," government officials said in a news release.
After an FBI investigation, six people were charged with receiving and transferring proceeds from the scams. All were former student-athletes, including four who were enrolled at William Carey University.
Click here to read full indictment for the six student-athletes charged in the case
During the investigation of the money transfers, the FBI determined Etim, Uyoyo Mercy Abire, Raymond Ekevwo, Toluwani Adebakin, Ngoni Chadyiwa and Emmanuel Ineh benefitted from the fraudulently obtained funds.
"Ultimately, the investigation did not show that any of the athletes directly contacted any of the fraud victims," according to authorities. "However, as a result of the fraud schemes, the athletes received funds from over 100 victims and transferred over $820,000 overseas."
Nigeria natives Etim, Ineh and Adebakin, and Chadyiwa, a Zimbabwe native, were track-and-field athletes at William Carey University. Ekevwo and Abire, also from Nigeria, were track-and-field athletes at the University of Florida and Louisiana State University, respectively.
WCU officials said the actions of the former students do not reflect the values of the university.
"While we deeply regret the actions of these former students, we want to emphasize that their conduct does not reflect the values or principles upheld by our university," WCU President Ben Burnett said. "As a Christian educational institution, we remain committed to instilling the highest moral and ethical values in our athletes and in our university community."
Ineh and Adebakin pleaded guilty in November 2022 to their roles in the fraud. Adebakin pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. Ineh pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release.
Abire pleaded guilty in May 2023 to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to nearly 3½ years in prison and three years of supervised release. Ekevwo and Chadyiwa each pleaded guilty in August 2023 to aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmission business. Ekevwo was sentenced to nearly four years in prison and three years of supervised release. Chadyiwa was sentenced to three years of probation.
Each of the student-athletes was ordered to pay restitution to the victims from whom they personally received funds and remain subject to potential deportation or removal from the U.S., authorities, including U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff, said in a news release.
Earlier case tied to Mississippi: In 2015, six Nigerian nationals extradited to Mississippi in Internet scam case
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This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Former William Carey University student tied to Nigerian scams sentenced
