Few Hours to Wedding, Bride and Groom-to-Be Charged with Multi-Million Dollar Fraud in US
A planned wedding for Saturday has taken a dramatic turn as the soon-to-be-married couple, Darlington Akporugo, 46, and Jasmin Sood, 35, have been arrested on charges of defrauding elderly Americans of over $3 million through online romance scams.
The wedding ceremony was scheduled to take place on May 25 in Houston, Texas, according to the wedding website.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas revealed that Akporugo and Sood allegedly conspired for over seven years, targeting widowed victims on social media and dating platforms.
“A Nigerian man who resided in Fulshear is set to appear in court on allegations he conspired to defraud over a dozen elder Americans who thought they were in romantic online relationships and sent millions to a network of fraudsters,” announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani in a statement released in April.
“Darlington Akporugo, 46, is scheduled for a detention hearing at 9 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison. Akporugo allegedly conspired with Jasmin Sood, 35, also of Fulshear, to commit wire and mail fraud.”
The statement detailed that the fraudulent activities occurred between 2015 and 2022, during which Akporugo and Sood cultivated trust with their targets and coaxed them into transferring substantial sums of money to various accounts reportedly controlled by the couple.
The indictment states that at least 13 victims were defrauded of approximately $3,123,073. A notice of forfeiture has been issued for all unlawfully acquired proceeds from the scam.
“The indictment also charges Akporugo with aggravated identity theft and fraud in connection with an access device. The scheme allegedly resulted in at least 13 victims being defrauded of an approximate $3,123,073. The indictment includes notice of forfeiture for all illegally derived proceeds from the fraud scheme,” the statement read.
If convicted, both Akporugo and Sood face up to 30 years in prison for each wire fraud count and conspiracy. Additionally, Akporugo faces an extra 10 years for fraud in connection with an access device and another mandatory two years if convicted of aggravated identity theft.
