Pulaski County man indicted for internet fraud scheme

A Nigerian national in St. Robert, Missouri has been indicted by a federal grand jury for his role in various internet fraud schemes.

The indictment alleges Segun Prosper Otaru was charged on 12 counts last Wednesday in Springfield, Missouri.

Federal authorities allege Otaru’s conspiracy lasted from 2015 to last month. He and other conspirators would post internet advertisements on sites like Criagslist.com for goods and services, according to the indictment. After Otaru would request a transfer of funds through MoneyGram or Western Union and the victims would receive nothing for their purchase, federal prosecutors allege.

According to the same indictment, Otaru also submitted false income tax returns to receive refunds. In total, he submitted 167 false claims and received at least $24,356 in tax refunds, the indictment alleges.

In 2017, U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package for Otaru from Nigeria. The package purported to be a “local body scrub” and contained a bottle of soap along with four counterfeit passports and four corresponding counterfeit driver’s licenses, the federal prosecutor said in a news release. Otaru had several bank accounts tied to fake names, which he would use to move money from the scheme, the release said.

Otaru’s 12 counts include conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud and four counts of bank fraud. If convicted, the charges would require Otaru to forfeit all proceeds derived from the alleged conspiracy.

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