Nigerian with base in Ghana charged for "419"

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT (BNO NEWS) – A Nigerian man was found guilty for wire fraud in Connecticut, U.S. Attorney Nora R. Dannehy said Tuesday.

Okpako Mike Diamreyan, 31, is a citizen of Nigeria who occasionally resided in Accra, Ghana and was stemming “advance fee” fraud scams through the Internet.

The scheme victimized people who were persuaded to give an advance payment in order to obtain a larger sum of money that never materialized.

Diamreyan would claim he had a “consignment” stored in Ghana containing amounts ranging from $11.5 million to $23.4 million, offering the victims 20 percent of the amount if they would help him transfer the money to the United States.

Providing fraudulent documents to the victims, he would prove the existence of the money, identifying himself with differnet names like Prince Nana Kamokai of Sierra Leone, General Odu Kuffour of Ghana, and the Rev. Dr. Richard Camaro, airport director in Accra, Ghana.

He carried out the schemes from August 2004 to August 2009, defrauding residents of Connecticut and other parts of the country.

Diamreyan is scheduled to appear on May 7 for sentencing, as he now faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000, on each of the three counts.