Olalekan Ponle, a Nigerian who had been held in the United States for suspected theft, was given his nickname, ‘Woodberry,’ during his high school days.
Mr. Ponle was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on 10 June for various fraud charges following a raid by Dubai Crime Unit operatives.
According to the lawsuit, an unidentified Chicago company was being fooled into sending wire transfers totalling $15.2 million. Companies based in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York and California have also been the victims of fraud, prosecutors claim.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) nabled Mr. Ponle through information obtained from his WhatsApp, iPhone and Bitcoin transactions. On July 2, he was extradited to the United States.
In a WhatsApp chat with the FBI, Mr. Ponle told an unidentified individual that the name Woodberry “came from one his high school friend.”
The friend, according to the alleged fraudster, “awarded him the name because he was a comedian in high school.”
Below is an excerpt from the said chat of June 18, 2019.
“Individual: Now you know my full government. Tell me yours.
Ponle: Jacob Ponle.
Individual: Where did Woodie come from?
Ponle: It came from a friend awarding me that name because I used to be a comedian in high school and ever since I retained it.
The 29-year-old is currently facing charges at a US District Court in Illinois, based on wire fraud conspiracy.
His first appearance in court was on 3 July, during which a preliminary hearing was set for 16 July before Judge Jeffrey T Gilbert.
While Mr Ponle was brought before the court for his detention and a preliminary hearing on Thursday, we cannot have access to the outcome of the proceedings at the time of the release of this report.
He was also charged by a grand jury, a panel of attorneys authorized to perform legal proceedings and investigate alleged criminal activity.
The jury described the charges against Mr. Ponle in the context of an 8-count wire fraud indictment, which violates section 1343 of the United States Criminal Code.
