Justice S. M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Calabar, Cross River State on Tuesday, December 17, 2019, convicted and sentenced two internet fraudsters to six months imprisonment with N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) option of fine each, after both pleaded guilty as charged.
The convicts, Mbuotidem Godwin Daniel, (a.k.a William Rodriquez Rodriquez), aged 24 and Stanhope Wise (a.k.a.Ted Gregory Will) aged 19, were arraigned on a one-count separate charge of impersonation and obtaining by false pretence by the Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The one-count charge against Daniel reads: “That you Mbuotidem Godwin Daniel (a.k.a William Rodriquez) on or about the 2nd day of December, 2019 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to obtain property and gain advantage for yourself, fraudulently impersonated one William Rodriquez (an American) with fictitious email willzrodriguez12@gmail.com and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (a) and (b) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention E.t.c) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) of the same Act.”
While that of Wise reads: “That you Stanhope Wise (a.k.a Ted Gregory Will) on or about the 2nd day of December, 2019 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to obtain property and gain advantage for yourself, fraudulently impersonated one Ted Gregory Will (an American) whose Facebook account you illegally hacked and took over with intent to defraud unsuspecting persons from Thailand and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (a) and (b) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention E.t.c) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) of the same Act.”
They both pleaded guilty to the crime, upon which prosecuting counsel, Usman Shehu prayed the court to convict and sentence them in accordance with the terms of a plea bargain agreement, entered and adopted by the prosecution and the defence in the matter.
The convicts were among the ‘Yahoo academy’ trainees, arrested by the Commission on November 28, 2019, in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
18 December, 2019
