Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Thursday sentenced to a year imprisonment, an online fraudster, Louis Usiaka, who impersonated a U.S. military officer.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dada sentenced Usiaka following a plea bargain agreement he had with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The judged said: “The sentence should commence from August 2017, since when he has been in prison custody.”

NAN reports that the convict was charged with impersonation and obtaining money by false pretences.

According to EFCC counsel, Mr A. A. Adebayo, he impersonated a U.S military officer online to lure his victims and obtain money from them using false documents.

Adebayo said that the offence contravenes Section 378 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The convict made the agreement with the EFCC after the prosecution had closed its case against him.

His counsel, Mr Michael Oladipo informed the court midway into his trial that he desired to enter into the agreement.

Usiaka was among eight suspects arrested last year by the EFCC Lagos command. They are:  Samsonre: Olujobi, 28 (a.k.a Mau Rice, Melinda Mcginnis); Abraham Sunday ( a.k.a. Raymond Dodson) 32; Gabriel Ayo ( a.k.a. Robert Mcintosh, Donald Great) 25; Omotayo Raphael (a.k.a. Michael Black) 25; Semiu Sunday Olawale (a.k.a. J. Cabtree) 23; Dafe Onosigho (a.k.a. Johna Kurz ) 27; Ewiolo Elvis (a.k.a. Morgan Moore), 32 and Usiaka Louis (a. k.a. Anthony Parker, David Smart, Alfred Norman) 22. They were arrested following intelligence report about their alleged involvement in some criminal activities.

The suspects who were arrested around the Egbeda and Agege areas of the state, were said to have defrauded their victims whom they connected with on some online dating sites, of huge sums of money in different currencies posing as Americans. Evidence extracted from their emails contain account user names and passwords of their victims who are mainly Americans. The scammers who are experts at stealing domain names of persons and organizations also use their victims as money moles to transfer monies between countries.