Nigerian court sentences American businessman to 74 years in prison over fraud

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Nigerian court sentences American businessman to 74 years in prison over fraud

The Lagos State Special Offence Court has sentenced an American businessman, Marco Ramirez to 74 years in prison over $1.6m fraud.

Ramirez was sentenced on Tuesday following the charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The EFCC had arraigned the convict on a 12-count charge but later re-arraigned him on a 16-count charge on June 24, 2022, before the presiding judge, Mojisola Dada.

Ramirez, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges, was prosecuted alongside his companies, Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP, USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, and
USA NOW LLC over a $1,235,000 EB-5 visa scam.

He was accused of obtaining the money from his victims as processing fees for their investments in his company, which would qualify them to be eligible for the issuance of a United States of America green card.

Also, he was arraigned on another nine-count charge of $368,698.24 fraud.

Delivering judgment, Justice Mojisola Dada sentenced Ramirez to various terms of imprisonment on the different charges, saying the prosecution was able to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.