A 42-year-old Nigerian man, Badetito O. Obafemi, was sentenced to jail for his role in online romance, a scam targeting elderly victims in Missouri, Minnesota and New Jersey.
U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips sentenced Obafemi, of Dallas, Georgia, to 24 months without parole on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
According to a statement from the Missouri West District Attorney’s Office, the court also sentenced Obafemi to three years of supervised release after jail and ordered him to compensate the victims of the crime.
On April 18, 2024, Obafemi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder money. Obafemi admitted he participated in a romantic scam targeting victims in Taney County, Missouri, Northfield, Minnesota and Bergen County, New Jersey, at least at least March 2018.
Romantic perpetrators use online communication to establish relationships with victims. The scammers then began asking victims for funds for various reasons, including business expenses, medical expenses, travel expenses and food.
According to court records, the victim in Tany County contacted a person who claimed to be “Kevin Condon” via Facebook.
After several conversations via email, phone and Facebook, “Condon” convinced the victim to send him money for costs related to his overseas business projects and various medical issues.
Conspirators stole $27,460 from Taney County victims. “Condon” also tried to convince the victim to deposit $40,000 into an account controlled by Obaffemi, allegedly paying to a court in South Africa to free his prison.
Obafemi plots to receive wire transfers from the victims with the perpetrators, coordinate the necessary bank account information, transfer time and transfer of funds across accounts.
Obafemi received funds from his personal account as well as from funds from two companies (Easytickets, LLC) and Goeasy Logistics, LLC, which he owns and operates in his Georgia residence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. The FBI and Northfield, Minnesota, police department’s Homeland Security Investigation conducted.
