Two Internet Fraudsters Sentenced to Four Years in Prison in Port Harcourt

Justice S. Pam of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has sentenced two internet fraudsters, Emmanuel Wisdom and Donald Etege, to two years in prison each for impersonation and obtaining money by false pretenses.

The sentencing occurred on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, following their arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate charges related to fraud. Details of the sentencing were shared on the EFCC’s official X account today.

Donald Etege’s charge revealed that he had fraudulently obtained $1,500 from a victim, Lisa Ricks, in Port Harcourt by falsely claiming to be a Bitcoin trader. His actions violated Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, punishable under Section 1(3).

The charge against Emmanuel Wisdom, who also used the alias “Sam Friedrich,” indicated that he fraudulently acquired $1,200 from another victim, Tony Grozdan, between August 10 and October 1, 2024. Wisdom falsely claimed to be a cryptocurrency investment manager. His actions similarly violated Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, also punishable under Section 1(3).

Both defendants pleaded guilty. Prosecuting counsels K.W. Chukwuma-Eneh and E.K. Bakam presented witnesses and evidence, which the court accepted as exhibits, urging conviction. Defense counsels O.F. Nwogu and C. Christopher requested leniency, noting that both defendants were first-time offenders.

Justice Pam sentenced each defendant to two years’ imprisonment with an alternative fine of N200,000, payable to the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Account. The court also ordered the forfeiture of all seized phones, identified as proceeds of crime, and required affidavits of good behavior from both defendants.

EFCC investigations confirmed that Etege and Wisdom were arrested in October 2024 for internet fraud, leading to their prosecution and conviction.