27 Year-Old Man Sentenced To 42 Months In Prison For Fraud

A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to 42 months in
prison by a court in Lagos after he was found guilty of
fraud.
Junior Williams was sentenced by the court sitting in the
Ikeja area of the state after being tried on six counts of
attempted fraud.
Williams will however spend only 7 months within the
walls of a prison as his sentence will run concurrently.
The defendant who resides at Federal Housing Estate, Flat
14, Street 42, Ikpoba Hill, in Benin City had earlier been
arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, on
a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy and intent to
obtain credit in the sum of 300 million euros under false
pretence.
The defendant, who is also known as James Smith and
James Williams, was said by the anti-graft agency to have
conspired to defraud one Redsea Cooperative Hotels of the
said sum, by being in possession of document dated May
16, 2013 entitled "Gentleman agreement financial
instruments via swift MT199+MT103" purportedly
originating from Barclays Bank Plc, 1 Churchhill Place,
London.
The EFCC's prosecutor, Babatunde Sonaike, told the court
that the defendant committed the offence on May 16 2013
He said the offence committed is contrary to Sections 74
and 75 of the Criminal Justice Administration Law of
LagosState of Nigeria 2011.
Sonaike further said the defendant attempted to book an
online room reservation at Four Points Sheraton Hotel,
Lagos also known as Ocean Winds Hospitality for self and
his accomplice with stolen credit card No. PAN
-49354901096990649 in the name of one James Smith
among other charges.
The defendant had entered into plea bargaining agreement
with the anti-graft agency dated 28 of October, 2013 and
had made full restitution in the sum of N1,490,000.
The defendant counsel, Folakemi Jegede pleaded with the
court for leniency for the defendant, pointing out that he
had regretted his action and shown remorse and pleaded
guilty to the count charges.
She further pleaded with the court to consider the wife and
daughter of the defendant who have been psychologically
affected by the arrest of the defendant.
In her Judgement Justice Ipaye after considering the guilty
plea of the defendant and the plea bargaining entered into
and sentenced him to seven months.
The judge however stated that the sentence should
commence from May, 17, 2013 when the defendant was
remanded in EFCC custody.

Via: Vanguard