A couple’s wedding plans in Houston, Texas, took a drastic turn when Darlington Akporugo and Jasmin Sood were arrested just before their scheduled wedding date on May 25. The arrest stemmed from allegations of fr@ud, leading to the cancellation of their wedding ceremony.
In April, Akporugo and Sood found themselves in legal trouble, accused of conspiring to defr@ud numerous elderly Americans, resulting in losses totaling $3.123 million. The United States Department of Homeland Security leveled charges against the 46-year-old Nigerian and his 35-year-old fiancée for their involvement in a mail and wire fr@ud scheme targeting vulnerable individuals.
Investigations revealed that between 2015 and 2022, the couple allegedly assumed false identities and preyed on elderly victims through online romantic relationships. Utilizing social media platforms and dating websites, they engaged in communication via email, text messages, and phone calls to establish trust with their victims.
Once trust was established, Akporugo and Sood reportedly coerced the victims into transferring significant sums of money to various accounts under their control. Some victims were even approached in person, with Akporugo allegedly convincing them to grant him access to their bank accounts.
The indictment also includes charges of aggravated identity th£ft and fr@ud in connection with an access device against Akporugo. Their alleged scheme resulted in the defr@ud of at least 13 victims, collectively losing over $3 million.
If found guilty, both Akporugo and Sood could face substantial prison sentences, with potential imprisonment of up to 30 years for each count of wire fr@ud and conspiracy. Akporugo may also face an additional 10 years for fr@ud related to access devices and a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity th£ft
