A Nigerian internet fraudster, better known as yahoo boy, has been sentenced to 66 years imprisonment by a Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba sentenced Tonwerigha Oyintonbra Tombrown to 66 years without an option of fine for defrauding one Izabela Glogowska  €55,000 under the pretext of paying it into her Perfect Money online account.

Tombrown had pleaded not guilty when arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] on November 9, 2016.

He was prosecuted on thirty-three count, bordering on impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence.

However, at the resumed hearing on the matter on February 13, 2020, he switched gear and pleaded guilty to all the charges.

One of the charges read,

“That you Tonweirigha Oyintonbra Tombrown (alias Michael Freeman, Yoshinaka corporation) on or about the 8th day of May 2015, at Warri, Delta State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did present yourself as one Michael Freeman a famous online trader and obtained the sum of (€5800) Five Thousand Eight Hundred Euros from Izabela Glogwoska under the false pretence that you were going to pay the said sum into Izabela Glogwoska’s Perfect Money account, a pretence you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the said Act.”

Prosecuting counsel, A.I Arogha reviewed the facts of the case and urged the court to convict him accordingly.

Justice Dimgba convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment on each of the thirty-three count without an option of fine. The sentence is, however, to run concurrently from August 11, 2018, the date the convict was taken into custody.

The judge further ruled that the EFCC should remit to the victim of the fraud, the sum of €30,475 being part of the proceeds of crime, which the convict had returned through the Commission in the course of investigation and prosecution of the case.