A dual U.S.-Nigerian citizen, Eseosa Brigut Omoruyi, has been sentenced to prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Mr Omoruyi resided in both Irvington, New Jersey, and Nigeria. He was sentenced on Wednesday to six years and six months in prison.
According to court documents, Mr Omoruyi, 36, was the sole owner and operator of Peller Goods, LLC, a business he created in July 2019 in New Jersey.
From at least March 2020 through November 2024, Mr Omoruyi participated in a money laundering scheme to receive funds from another conspirator through Peller Goods’ bank accounts in exchange for a percentage of each transaction, the U.S. justice department said in a statement on Wednesday.
Mr Omoruyi recruited Wilvert Telfo, 31, of Bayonne, New Jersey, to join the conspiracy and launder funds through his business, Royal Skoob Productions, LLC.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Mr Omoruyi was involved in laundering approximately $3,442,230. Mr Telfo was involved in laundering approximately $1,042,361.
Among the money laundered by Messrs Omoruyi and Telfo were funds from a fraudulently obtained $174,400 Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the U.S. Treasury Department to MediPro Corporation in Newport News.
On July 3, 2020, the owner and operator of MediPro Corporation wired $70,000 of the EIDL funds to Royal Skoob Productions.
At Mr Omoruyi’s direction, on July 6, 2020, Mr Telfo transferred $25,421.45 of the funds via cashier’s check to another company, and on July 8, 2020, withdrew $25,905, which he further transferred.
Mr Telfo pleaded guilty on March 23, 2023, to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced on August 9, 2023, to two years and six months in prison.