TheNewsGuru

Tag: FBI

  • Shatta Wale in trouble after Ghana’s anti-graft agency, FBI seize Lamborghini

    Shatta Wale in trouble after Ghana’s anti-graft agency, FBI seize Lamborghini

    The Ghanaian Economic and Organised Crime Office, in collaboration with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Justice Department, has revealed that it has seized a luxury vehicle, a 2019 Lamborghini Urus, from Ghanaian dancehall artiste, Charles Armah, popularly known as Shatta Wale.

    In a press statement issued on Tuesday by the acting Executive Director of the agency, Raymond Archer, and shared on X by Ghanaian TV station, Joy News, EOCO disclosed that the operation followed a request from the FBI and the US Justice Department in 2023, which culminated in a lawful search of the rapper’s apartment at Trassaco Valley Phase 1 in Accra, Ghana.

    The search was carried out by EOCO’s Surveillance and Asset Recovery Unit, leading to the discovery and seizure of a 2019 Lamborghini Urus. According to the statement, US authorities have linked the vehicle to criminal proceeds of one Nana Kwabena Amuah, currently serving an 86-month sentence for financial crimes in the United States.

    “In June this year, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, acting on a 2023 request from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the United States Justice Department, undertook an operation which led to a lawful search in a home at Trassaco Valley Phase 1, in Accra.

    “The operation which was undertaken by the Surveillance And Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) of EOCO led to the discovery and seizure of a 2019 Lamborghini Urus which the the FBI and the Justice Department have tied to the proceeds of the criminal enterprise of one Nana Kwabena Amuah who is currently serving an 86 month sentence for several financial crimes in the US”, the statement partly read.

    According to the statement, the vehicle was reportedly found in the possession of Shatta Wale, who was allowed to voluntarily surrender the car to EOCO operatives.

    “The car was seized from one Charles Nii Armah, aka Shatta Wale. The officers were professional and civil, and the search and seizure occurred without incident. Nii Armah had pleaded with officers that he did not want the seizure to be made public because the vehicle was a big part of his brand, and that if his supporters saw the vehicle being driven away in the company of EOCO, it would destroy his brand. Nii Armah was allowed to surrender the vehicle himself, which is currently in the possession of EOCO”, the statement explained.

    The agency also explained that SARU officers were armed during the operation, describing it as standard safety protocol. “It is a standard safety protocol practice for officers of the Surveillance and Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) to carry weapons whilst on operation for the safety of officers”, the statement added.

    EOCO explained that further steps are being taken by US authorities to repatriate the seized car as part of the restitution owed by Amuah.

    The anti-graft agency also revealed that Shatta Wale and a former senior officer of the National Signal Bureau (NSB) are being investigated in connection with the case.

    It said, “The FBI and the Justice Department intend to send a formal Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) to the Government of Ghana to return the car to the United States as part of Nana Kwabena Amuah’s $4,743,443 restitution. Charles Nii Armah, aka Shatta Wale and a former senior officer of the National Signal Bureau (NSB), have been assessed as persons of interest and will be invited by EOCO to assist in further ongoing investigations in the coming days.”

    The agency also confirmed that a final report may be submitted to the FBI and the US Justice Department as part of their collaborative efforts. “EOCO may share the final investigations report to the FBI and the Justice Department as part of our ongoing cooperation”, the statement concluded.

    PUNCH Online reports that the controversial rapper had earlier posted a disturbing message on his Facebook book page, condemning the EOCO boss for storming his apartment with armed operatives of the agency. He wrote, “Raymond Archer, EOCO Boss, Ibe, you go make NDC go out of power next 4 years. Bringing guns to my house was uncalled for.”

    In another post, he wrote, “EOCO boss, the president of Ghana didn’t put you in that office to come and humiliate the citizens of this country. Remember, God no sleep.”

    PUNCH

  • PHOTOS: See lavish the lifestyle Nigerian ‘Tech queen’ lived before she was nabbed by FBI

    PHOTOS: See lavish the lifestyle Nigerian ‘Tech queen’ lived before she was nabbed by FBI

    The Nigerian tech enthusiast, Sapphire Egemasi, popularly known as ‘tech queen’, projected a lavish lifestyle on social media before her arrest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US.

    TheNewsGuru reports that the ‘tech queen’ was arrested in connection with a massive fraud scheme targeting U.S. government agencies.

    The programmer with an active Devpost profile was apprehended in the Bronx, New York, on April 10, 2025.

    She was arrested alongside several alleged co-conspirators, including Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei, believed to be the ringleader of the syndicate.

    The arrests follow a federal grand jury indictment filed in 2024, which charged the group with multiple counts of internet fraud and money laundering. The crimes allegedly took place between September 2021 and February 2023.

    According to prosecutors, the syndicate defrauded the city of Kentucky of millions of dollars by creating spoof websites that mimicked official U.S. government portals. These fraudulent platforms were used to harvest login credentials and redirect funds into accounts under the group’s control.

    A check on her social media reveals a visual diary of her travels, luxury, and affluent lifestyle.

    Her travel history, as curated on her 𝕏 account, spanned some of the world’s most desirable destinations, including Portugal, Italy, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Germany, the Netherlands, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

    In her posts, she shared stays at upscale accommodations, fine dining experiences, and visits to exclusive landmarks.

    See photos below:

  • Records on Tinubu’s allege drug case not ready- FBI, DEA

    Records on Tinubu’s allege drug case not ready- FBI, DEA

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have confirmed that their searches for records related to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are still in progress. The agencies indicated they expect to complete the process within 90 days and submit a joint report by July 31.

    This follows a U.S. District Court order in Washington, D.C., compelling the agencies to release documents tied to a 1990s drug investigation allegedly involving President Tinubu. The ruling came after American citizen Aaron Greenspan filed a Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) request. On April 8, Judge Beryl Howell ruled against the agencies’ attempt to withhold the documents using a “Glomar response,” which allows them to neither confirm nor deny the existence of the records. The court deemed their reasoning for withholding the records insufficient.

    Despite expectations that the documents would be released by May 1, a joint status report submitted on Thursday by Greenspan, U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr., and Assistant Attorney M. Jared Littman confirmed the records are not yet ready. The report outlines a proposed timeline for further proceedings, with the agencies seeking until July 31 to finalize their search and provide the documents.

    Greenspan, however, has pushed for faster disclosure, suggesting that unredacted documents already identified should be released within a week, and the rest within two weeks. He also plans to seek reimbursement for $440.22 in filing and mailing costs.

    The Nigerian Presidency, through Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has maintained that the records in question are not new and are unlikely to reveal anything significant from the decades-old case.

     

  • There’s nothing new to be revealed about Tinubu – Presidency reacts to U.S court order

    There’s nothing new to be revealed about Tinubu – Presidency reacts to U.S court order

    The Presidency has reacted to last Tuesday rulling by Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, directing the FBI and DEA to release non-exempt documents concerning President Bola Tinubu.

    Reacting to the court orderon Sunday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the reports in question have been in public for over 30 years and did not indict the Nigerian leader.

    “Journalists have sought the Presidency’s reaction to the ruling last Tuesday by a Washington DC judge ordering the US FBI and DEA to release reports connected with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Onanuga wrote in a social media post on Sunday.

    He added, “Our response is as follows. There is nothing new to be revealed.

    “The report by Agent Moss of the FBI and the DEA report have been in the public space for more than 30 years.

    “The reports did not indict the Nigerian leader.”

    He added that the Presidency’s lawyers are currently examining the ruling.

  • Finally, U.S judge orders FBI, DEA to release files on Tinubu

    Finally, U.S judge orders FBI, DEA to release files on Tinubu

    Finally, a United States District Court in Washington, D.C has directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to make public records concerning President Bola Tinubu.

    Judge Beryl Howell issued the order on Tuesday in response to a motion filed by Aaron Greenspan, an American citizen seeking a review of a previous ruling.

    In her decision, Howell dismissed the agencies’ justification for withholding the information, stating that shielding such documents from the public “is neither logical nor plausible.”

    Greenspan alleged that the agencies violated the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by failing to produce documents regarding alleged federal probes into both President Tinubu and Abiodun Agbele within the legally mandated timeframe.

    In 1993, Tinubu forfeited $460,000 to the U.S. government after officials linked the funds to proceeds from narcotics-related activities.

    The issue resurfaced during proceedings at Nigeria’s Presidential Election Petition Court, where opposition candidates Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi cited the forfeiture in challenging Tinubu’s eligibility for office. The court ultimately dismissed the petitions and upheld his election.

    Judge Howell’s latest ruling partially supports Greenspan’s claims, particularly concerning the agencies’ reliance on what’s known as a “Glomar response”—a refusal to confirm or deny the existence of records.

    According to the judge, the FBI and DEA failed to demonstrate that their use of the Glomar principle was appropriate in this case.

    She wrote, “the claim that the Glomar responses were necessary to protect this information from public disclosure is at this point neither logical nor plausible,” noting that Tinubu had already been publicly identified as a subject in investigations by both agencies.

    Further explaining the legal framework, Howell stated that a FOIA requester can challenge a Glomar response either by disputing the claim that disclosure would cause identifiable harm, or by proving that the agency has already officially acknowledged the information in question.

    In this instance, Greenspan made both arguments. He contended that: “The plaintiffs’ argument that (1) DEA has officially confirmed investigations of Agbele’s involvement in the drug trafficking ring, (2) the FBI and DEA have both officially confirmed investigations of Tinubu relating to the drug trafficking ring, (3) any privacy interests implicated by the FOIA requests to the FBI and DEA for records about Tinubu are overcome by the public interest in release of such information, and (4) the CIA has officially acknowledged records responsive to plaintiff’s FOIA request about Tinubu.”

  • ‘Missing’ popular Yoruba king found ‘rotting’ away in FBI custody over ‘$4.2m fraud’

    ‘Missing’ popular Yoruba king found ‘rotting’ away in FBI custody over ‘$4.2m fraud’

    Oba, Joseph Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, has been arrested and detained by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over allegations of defrauding the U.S. government of $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

    TheNewsGuru understands that Indigenes of Ipetumodu had declared Oba Oloyede who frequented Nigeria and the US for “royal and personal engagements” missing in March 2024.

    Oloyede who was crowned as the monarch of Ipetumodu in 2019 had reportedly missed three major traditional festivals, including the annual ‘egungun festival and Edi celebration’.

    However, a statement issued by the US department of transportation accuses the monarch and his associate, Edward Oluwasanmi, of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.

    According to U.S. court documents, the monarch was arrested on May 4, 2024, following an arrest warrant.

    “The indictment alleges that Oloyede and Oluwasanmi fraudulently obtained over $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, including Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs),” the statement partly reads.

    The documents also indicated that the monarch and his associate, Oluwasanmi from April 2020 through February 28, 2022,  submitted PPP and EIDL applications containing false information for entities under their control.

    They also allegedly submitted falsified tax and wage documents to support these applications.

    “Oloyede received $1.7 million, and Oluwasanmi received $1.2 million in SBA funds for their businesses,” the statement added.

    “Additionally, Oloyede submitted falsified PPP and EIDL applications in the names of other co-conspirators and confederate borrowers and their businesses.

    “Oloyede obtained approximately $1.3 million through those applications, totaling at least $4.2 million obtained through the fraud.”

    The statement said relevant US authorities, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, are investigating the case.

  • FBI investigates deadly Tesla truck explosion

    FBI investigates deadly Tesla truck explosion

    U.S. security authorities are investigating whether the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas might have been a terrorist attack.

    FBI lead agent Jeremy Schwartz said this on Wednesday at a news conference. The explosion killed the Cybertruck’s driver and slightly injured seven, the Las Vegas police said. Schwartz did not provide details about the person killed in the explosion.

    Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters at a separate news conference that authorities do know the name of the person who rented the truck and he acknowledged that a name is floating around social media, but would not comment further.

    He said it is important that next of kin be notified and that “we have a 100 per cent identification.” He did say that the truck was rented in Colorado and arrived in Las Vegas around 7:30 am (1550 GMT) on Wednesday and drove up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before then driving to the hotel.

    The vehicle stopped directly in front of the glass entrance doors of the luxurious building on Wednesday morning and exploded about 20 seconds after stopping, McMahill said. His office has not yet determined what triggered the explosion, as the vehicle has not yet been processed.

    He showed surveillance footage showing smoke emanating from the vehicle, which culminated in a powerful detonation. Later, additional drone footage captured the aftermath. The images revealed the charred remnants of several petrol canisters and fireworks. The electric vehicle was completely destroyed by the fire.

    The vehicle involved in the Trump hotel incident had been rented through the same rental website used by the New Orleans attacker, who drove a pick-up truck into a crowd celebrating on New Year’s morning, killing 15 people, McMahill said.

    A potential connection to the explosion in Las Vegas, which occurred only a few hours later, is being examined, the sheriff said.

    “We are not ruling anything out.” There are currently no indications of a connection to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization, as had been suggested in New Orleans.

    “There was no overt ISIS flag as was seen in New Orleans,” McMahill said, but stressed that the investigation is looking at all angles.

    McMahill said there is no further threat to the community and his office believes any danger to the public from this attack is over.

  • FBI implicates popular Lagos celebrity as court seizes his iPhone

    FBI implicates popular Lagos celebrity as court seizes his iPhone

    An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Tuesday admitted as evidence the iPhone of the social media celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha (alias Mompha) charged with six billion naira money laundering.

    Mustapha, still at large, is standing trial alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd., on eight counts bordering on money laundering.

    Musa Idi, the sixth prosecution witness, in the continuation of his evidence-in-chief, on Tuesday told the court that the iPhone was duly taken for forensic analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    Idi, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while being led in evidence by Mr Suleiman Suleiman, said that fraudulent documents were printed out from the phone.

    Suleiman confirmed to the court that the iPhone was obtained during the course of the investigation. He, thereafter, sought to tender the iPhone as an evidence before the court.

    Mompha’s Counsel, Mr Kolawole Salami, objected to the tendering of the iPhone as an exhibit. Salami argued that no proper foundation was laid, as no certificate was tendered with the phone.

    The court then asked the defence counsel if he did not listen to what the witness said.

    The prosecutor, in his response to the defence, argued that the contention that there was no provision of the Evidence Act posed no issue.

    “We urge your lordship to discountenance the submission of the defence and admit the documents in evidence,” Suleiman said.

    Justice Mojisola Dada, in a short ruling,  overruled the objection and upheld the arguments of the prosecution. Dada admitted the iPhone in evidence and marked it as exhibit P7.

    The witness had on July 1 narrated to the court how he came across  Mompha and his company during the investigation.

    He said the commission received an intelligent information from FBI that Mompha and his company led a cybercrime in the United States of America.

    At the last adjourned date, two documents, the statement of first defendant and an asset declaration were admitted in evidence and labeled exhibits p5 and p6.

    The court adjourned the case until Jan. 3 ,2025 for continuation of trial.

  • FBI nabs notorious Nigerian fraudster, Bobo Chicago [PHOTO]

    FBI nabs notorious Nigerian fraudster, Bobo Chicago [PHOTO]

    A 25-year-old Nigerian man, Oluyomi Bombata, also known as Bobo Chicago, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his alleged role in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme and money laundering activities amounting to $2.8 million.

    Bobo Chicago was said to have relocated to Chicago from Houston metropolitan area before his arrest on November 20, 2024.

    Reports indicated that Bombata’s extravagant lifestyle  drew the attention of law enforcement, leading to an investigation into complaints from victims.

    According to FBI,  his scheme involved intercepting financial transactions and redirecting funds after hacking into company and individual email accounts, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The nvestigators, in one of the examples they cited,  revealed  how over $300,000 of illicitly obtained funds were transferred to a popular liquor store in the US.

    Bobo Chicago was arrested in Illinois, Chicago under an arrest warrant issued in Oklahoma, following an extensive FBI investigation. Authorities have also detained one of his alleged accomplices, whose identity has not yet been disclosed.

    Following his arrest, a US Judge, Beth Jantz signed paperwork for him to be transferred to Oklahoma, where he will be facing a five-count charge of criminal consequences which the FBI listed as wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions allegedly committed between June 2023 and October 2023.

    Reports added that the Nigerian male was assigned a public defender after claiming he had no resources to fight the case on his own.

    The FBI emphasised its commitment to combatting cybercrimes, especially schemes like BEC fraud, which often target unsuspecting businesses and individuals worldwide.

  • Newly elected Anambra LG chairman allegedly arrested by FBI

    Newly elected Anambra LG chairman allegedly arrested by FBI

    Reportedly, Chairman of Ogbaru local government area in Anambra State, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, elected in September 2024, has been arrested in the United States of America (USA).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the United States Department of Justice made the disclosure, saying the 40-year-old Nigerian national was arrested upon his arrival at an airport in Texas on an indictment returned in the Western District of Washington.

    It was gathered that Nwadialo was indicted in December 2023 for 14 counts of wire fraud connected to his romance fraud scheme. He was traveling from Nigeria when he was arrested.

    According to a report on United States Department of Justice’s website, Nwadialo will be transported to the Western District of Washington for arraignment.

    “All too often the defendants in these romance scams are overseas and unreachable by U.S. law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “I congratulate investigators who are alert to any opportunity to arrest such defendants and hold them accountable.”

    According to the indictment and criminal complaint filed in the case, Nwadialo allegedly defrauded victims of more than $3.3 million. According to the indictment, Nwadialo used various versions of the name ‘Giovanni” when he met his victims online on websites such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café.

    Nwadialo used false images for his profile and typically told the victims that he was in the military and deployed overseas so he could not meet the victims in person. Using these personas, Nwadialo invented many reasons he needed the victims to send him money.

    In one such case in 2020, he indicated he had been fined by the military for revealing his location to the victim. He asked the victim to help him pay the $150,000 fine. In all, that victim was defrauded of at least $2.4 million.

    A second victim was contacted in 2019 to help move funds from U.S. accounts to accounts controlled by the defendant and his co-schemers. In this instance Nwadialo represented that he needed the help moving money in connection with his father’s death. The victim transferred at least $330,000 to the accounts controlled by the defendant.

    A third victim was defrauded by Nwadialo when he told her that he was investing money for her. He claimed that a check she received from another victim was proceeds from her investments and he had her “reinvest” the money in a specific cryptocurrency account that he controlled. The victim transferred at least $270,000 at Nwadialo’s direction.

    Finally, in August 2020, Nwadialo defrauded another victim who he met on an online dating site and caused this victim to transfer at least $310,000 by claiming he needed financial assistance, including help paying for his father’s funeral or his son’s school tuition.

    The fourteen counts of wire fraud relate to the communications with Nwadialo and the wiring of funds from victims to the defendant and his co-schemers.

    Wire fraud is punishable by up to twenty years in prison. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sok Jiang.