Police in Toronto, Canada have arrested two men of Nigerian origin, and are looking for a third, after they allegedly broke up a massive fraud ring.
The trio are suspected of using identity theft and fraud to fund a lavish lifestyle that included $10,000 crocodile shoes and $150,000 watches.
They allegedly stole $10 million from Canadians, Canadian institutions, and people living abroad.
Investigation into their activities began last summer. In the probe, dubbed Project Royal, police allegedly seized “37 fraudulently-obtained credit cards, hundreds of pieces of presumably stolen mail, and a series of notebooks containing the handwritten identity information of approximately 5,000 GTA residents.”
The details in the mail and in those notebooks were the starting point for the investigation involving The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Competition Bureau of Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, the Ontario Ministry of Finance, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Adedayo Ogundana, 45, also known as Oladipupo Ogund, of Toronto, was arrested on December 13, 2016. He’s charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000; 10 counts of fraud under $5,000; possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000; and possession of proceeds of crime.
He will appear in court on Thursday.
Adekunle Johnson Omitiran, 37, of Toronto, surrendered to police on April 27. He is charged with fraud over $5,000; four counts of fraud under $5,000; two counts of identity theft; trafficking identity information; possession of credit card obtained by crime; possession of proceeds of crime; possession of proceeds of crime; and fail to comply with probation.
He will appear in court on Friday.
Police believe Omitiran had ties to people with “legitimate” access to identity information. Those people, police allege, sold information to Omitiran. Police are trying to track down those people.
A warrant has been issued for Duro Akintola, 44, also known as Michie Noah, of Toronto.
Emmanuel Salako, 47, of Toronto, also known as Gee Salaq, has been indicted by the United States Postal Inspection Service in Chicago under the name George Salako. He is wanted in the U.S.
