The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re-arraigned an American, Marco Ramirez, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja for allegedly defrauding five Nigerians of $1.588,838 in a green card scam.
The defendant and his companies, U.S.A Now LLC, Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP and U.S.A Now Capital Group were arraigned by the EFCC on a nine-count charge of obtaining money by false pretences.
Ramirez was previously arraigned by the commission on June 22, 2017, before Justice Josephine Oyefeso, alongside his companies on a 16-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences.
The defendant was alleged to have defrauded three Nigerians – Amb. Godson Echejue, Mr; Abubakar Umar and Mr Olukayode Sodimu of a total sum of $545,000 between February 2013 to August 2013 in Lagos.
The American denied the charges and was granted bail in the sum of $250,000.
His trial was halfway gone when the case file was transferred from Justice Oyefeso to Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court for a speedy conclusion of the trial.
On June 20, he was re-arraigned with his companies before Justice Dada on an amended 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences from Amb. Echejue, Umar and Sodimu to the tune of $1.2million.
In the new nine-count charge, the American was alleged to have defrauded two more Nigerians, Gabriel Edeoghon and Oludare Talabi of $388,838,
EFCC prosecuting counsel, Mrs Vera Aigboje, informed the court that the Ramirez committed the alleged offences in 2013 and 2014 in Lagos.