Lagos Court Jails Ex-convict To 12 Years For $1.4m Fraud
Kolawole Erinle, a businessman from Lagos, was convicted and sentenced to twelve years in prison by a Lagos judge for $1.4 million fraud.
According to a statement issued on Friday, October 6 by the Economic Crimes and Commission (EFCC)’s Acting Head, Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Erinle and his company, Rinde-Remdex Nigeria Limited, were first arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on March 11, 2022.
He pleaded not guilty, but the case was moved to Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja due to the retirement of Justice Taiwo.
On October 28, 2022, he was re-arraigned before Justice Oshodi on three-count counts of conspiracy, retention of proceeds of criminal behaviour, and collecting money under pretences totalling $1,410,000 (One Million Four Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars).
One of the charges read, “Kolawole Adedayo Erinle and Edward Dada (still at large), sometime in 2019, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to falsely represent yourselves as J.E. Dunn, a local construction company in America, with intent to gain monetary advantage in the sum of $1,410,000 (One Million Four-Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars) by creating a fake domain name jedunn.org and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No 14, 2006.”
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The prosecution also provided proof that Erinle was a bank fraud ex-convict in the United States.
A second charge read, “Kolawole Adedayo Erinle, Rinde-Remdex Nigeria Limited and Edward Dada (still at large) on or about the 3rd day of May 2019, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, retain the control of $1,410,000 (One Million Four-Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars) in your Access Bank account, which sum you knew to be proceeds of various internet and cybercrime.”
He pled “not guilty” to the allegations again.
T.J. Banjo, the prosecution’s counsel, called four witnesses and presented various pieces of documentary evidence to make the case against him and his company.
On February 10, 2023, Justice Oshodi revoked the defendant’s previous release after the prosecution filed an application demonstrating that he never fulfilled the bail conditions given by Justice Taiwo.
Under cross-examination by the prosecution, Erinle admitted that he was a US ex-convict who served 23 months in prison. He also expressed regret for not restituting his victim, stating, “I am sorry.”
On September 26, 2023, Justice Oshodi ruled that the defendant and his company were guilty as charged and that the prosecution had effectively proven the case against them beyond all reasonable doubt.
Justice Oshodi held that, Erinle, “spoofed the email address of the financial controller of J.E. Dunn by faking the domain name of jedunn.com to jedunn.org”, an act which was “premeditated”, so that “when KCUMB was about to pay J.E. Dunn, you provided Bank of America details in the name of E. Dada Autos, and after the wire transfer of $1,412,509.40 into it, in March 2019, you caused the money to be transferred in tranches of $850,000 and $460,000 into the second convict’s account, which you also control”.
The trial judge further held that “The evidence shows that you transferred the proceeds of your crime to your nominees, including your mother, and your wife, and also acquired vehicles and other properties captured in exhibit P to P1.
“I have considered the prosecution’s submissions that you have a prior conviction for bank fraud in the United States of America.
“I have considered the fact that notwithstanding your prison term, which you have confirmed to me as sentencing for 23 months, you have not changed.
“I have considered the preceding as aggravating factors.
“You also told me that you are sorry, but I do not believe that you are genuinely remorseful, but you have said it.”
Justice Oshodi sentenced him to five years in prison on count two and twelve years in prison on count three.
