Five alleged leaders of the Black Axe criminal organization have been extradited from South Africa to the US to face charges over romance scams, advance-fee fraud and money laundering.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) said the five Nigerian nationals headed the Cape Town zone of the group, formally the Neo Black Movement of Africa, and were flown to the US on September 11. They appeared in federal court in Trenton, New Jersey on September 14.
Perry Osagiede, 57, founded the Cape Town zone and served as its zonal head, according to the DoJ. He was extradited alongside Franklyn Edosa Osagiede, 42, Osariemen Eric Clement, 40, Collins Owhofasa Otughwor, 42, and Musa Mudashiru, 38.
Romance Scams Target US Victims
The superseding indictment alleges the group worked from Cape Town between 2011 and 2021, using social media, dating sites and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) numbers to reach victims in the US under a range of aliases.
The scripts commonly involved someone traveling to South Africa for work who needed money after unforeseen events, often at a construction site or involving a crane.
Victims who believed they were in relationships sent money and goods overseas. Where they hesitated, prosecutors said, the conspirators coerced payment by threatening to distribute personally sensitive photographs of them.
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Funds moved through the bank accounts of victims and other US account holders. In some cases prosecutors said victims were persuaded to open US accounts that the conspirators were then allowed to use, and business entities were used to disguise the money alongside proceeds from business email compromise (BEC).
A Violent Organization That Also Runs Scams
The FBI framed the group in blunter terms than the fraud charges suggest. Black Axe is “a notoriously violent transnational criminal organization that also happens to dabble in romance scams to make money,” said Stefanie Roddy, FBI Newark special agent in charge.
All five are charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Osagiede and Clement also face wire fraud counts, and Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Osagiede and Otughwor face aggravated identity theft.
The wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges each carry up to 20 years. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two years that must run consecutively to any other term.
The five were arrested in South Africa in 2021 at the request of US authorities, five years before the extradition. The DoJ credited the FBI, the US Secret Service, South Africa’s Hawks, the South African Police Service and Interpol, and has published a questionnaire for anyone who believes they were a victim.
The charges are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
