Nigerian streaming company, Nevada Bridge, and its founder, Neville Sajere, have been linked to a $1 million fraud by the United States government.
Sajere and his wife, Ivie, owners of Shevonz, a clothing store, were accused of money laundering and aggravated identity theft.
The couple allegedly used their companies, including an African gospel award show business, BAGMA, to launder the funds.
According to documents from the Northern District of Georgia, they defrauded the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by using stolen identity of retirees to obtain $1 million.
Sajere and Ivie allegedly targeted highly acclaimed professionals who do not need the retirement benefits, in order for their fraudulent activities to go unnoticed by the unsuspecting victims.
Ivie has been sentenced to two years and six months after pleading guilty in November 2021, to committing money laundering. Her sentence includes payment of $949,616.40 to SSA and FEMA.
After serving the jail term, she would be considered for deportation, after her marriage fraud with Sajere failed, according to texts from the documents released on April 26, 2022.
Sajere has also been indicted by the U.S jury. However, the Nollywood movie producer has been on the run, and believed to have fled the United States, forcing authorities to declare him wanted.
Commenting on the alleged fraud which began in June 2017 to September 2018, U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine said, “This was a massive fraud that impacted two government agencies and harmed thousands of victims across the country whose identities were stolen.
“Sajere’s prison sentence is the culmination of a complicated investigation and prosecution and serves as a cautionary tale to other fraudsters similarly minded.” Erskine said in the document.
