The gavel of justice has struck in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, sealing the fate of Oguzie Chima Joseph, also known as Sergeant Flores Nguyen, as he embarks on a two-year imprisonment for internet fraud.
In a statement released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on the 25th of March, 2025, Joseph faced conviction before Justice Sergius Onah of the Federal High Court in Uyo.
The court found him guilty on two counts of cybercrimes leveled against him by the anti-graft agency.
The details of his crime were damning. According to the first charge, Joseph, under the guise of Sergeant Flores Nguyen, falsely presented himself as an officer of the United States Army on Facebook, with the intent to deceive and defraud. This act, which violated Section 22 of the Cybercrime Act 2024, ultimately led to his downfall.
The second charge revealed that he knowingly took possession of $100, an amount traced to the proceeds of cyber fraud, an offense punishable under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Appearing before the court on the 10th of March 2025, Joseph pleaded guilty.
His admission of guilt prompted the prosecution, represented by Khamis Mahmud, to present key evidence through EFCC investigator, Assistant Superintendent Musa Yahaya.
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Exhibits submitted included the defendant’s written statement, an iPhone XR mobile device, and incriminating digital footprints of his fraudulent activities.
On March 24, 2025, Justice Onah delivered the verdict: “The prosecution has established its case beyond doubt, and with the defendant’s guilty plea, I hereby find Oguzie Chima Joseph guilty as charged.”
Joseph received a one-year sentence for each count, to run concurrently, with an option of a ₦200,000 fine. The court also ordered him to refund the $100 he fraudulently obtained and forfeited his iPhone XR deemed proceeds of crime to the government.
His downfall began on the 6th of December, 2024, when EFCC operatives in Uyo apprehended him following credible intelligence linking him to internet fraud. His deceptive online persona and fraudulent schemes finally caught up with him, bringing an end to his digital deception and marking the start of his time behind bars.