United States district court has sentenced Olalekan Ponle, popularly known as Woodberry, to 100 months (i.e eight years and three months) in prison for multimillion-dollar fraud.
Gatekeepers News reports that Woodberry is an ally of Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, another Nigerian who was jailed for internet fraud in November 2022.
On June 10, 2020, Hushpuppi and Woodberry and 11 others were arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for extensive international online fraud. They were later moved to the US for separate trials.
Hushpuppi, who initially denied all charges, later changed his plea and was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment.
Similarly, his right hand man – Woodberry who was accused of defrauding a US company of about $188,000, maintained his innocence for over two years.
Just as his friend, he reversed course and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud at a change of plea hearing in April, at the US District Court for Northern Illinois.
The Judge, Robert Gettleman, accepted the defendant’s change of plea in a ruling delivered on April 6.
Consequently, Woodberry was convicted on one out of eight counts following his plea bargain.
The Judge referred the case to the probation department for a pre-sentence investigation and report, which would guide his decision on the appropriate sentence to impose.
At the sentencing on Tuesday, Justice Gettleman ordered his imprisonment for 100 months.
Gentleman said, “The defendant is hereby committed to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to be imprisoned for a total term of 100 months as to count.”
The Judge further ordered Woodberry to submit himself to the U.S. Marshal Service for onward transfer to the federal correctional institution in Danbury, Connecticut, where his family members, especially his American fiancée, would be allowed to visit him.
Gentleman also said Woodberry would be “surrendered to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation immediately following his incarceration”.
The convict is expected to pay about $8 million in restitution to seven of his victims.
