The celebrated Nigerian businessman, Invictus Obinwanne Okeke, the CEO of Invictus Group, who appeared on Forbes young billionaire list has been convicted and jailed in the US, according to reports reaching Nigeria News Abroad. He pleaded guilty to $11 million (N4.2 billion) fraud charge in the United States.
The popular businessman, fondly called Invictus Obi made it into Forbes Africa’s under 30 lists in 2016 as an emerging, African entrepreneur. However, the e-billionaire was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over fake wire transfers.
Invictus was arrested in August 2019 by the FBI for allegedly being the ringleader of a global cybercrime syndicate who specializes in Business email compromise (BEC) attack. According to the FBI, his organised syndicate had defrauded several American citizens to the tune of $11m through fraudulent wire transfer instructions in a massive coordinated business email scheme.
News reaching Nigerian News Abroad through our source says Invictus Obi has pleaded guilty and sentenced. The 32-year-old admitted to American prosecutors that he was involved in computer-based fraud between 2015 and 2019. Invictus made the plea in a Norfolk Magistrate Court Room 2 in the US district court for Eastern District of Virginia. He is now convicted and jailed on charges relating to $11 million (N4.2 billion) computer-based fraud transacted between 2015 and 2019.
According to reports, he has an investment in real estate development, energy and construction. His company, Invictus Group, operates in three African countries, which include Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.
In May 2017, The African Brand Congress awarded the Invictus Group of Companies Ltd, Africa’s Most Innovative Investment Company of the Year 2017 Award. He was nominated for Africa’s most prestigious award for businessmen, The AABLA Awards, in the category of Young African Business Leader (West Africa).
Invictus is a regular contributor to the Forbes Africa Magazine where he shares his thoughts on entrepreneurship and investment in Africa.
According to the court documents, the conspirators obtained and compiled credentials of hundreds of victims, including victims in the Eastern District of Virginia and some other places. He and others engaged in an email compromise scheme targeting Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy industrial and farm equipment.
In April 2018, a Unatrac executive became a victim of a phishing email that allowed conspirators to capture login credentials. The conspirators sent fraudulent wire transfer requests and attached fake invoices. Invictus took part in the efforts against Unatrac through fraudulent wire transfers which were transferred overseas.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bagged 10 years in prison