The charges against Odera Odabi were announced Tuesday, April 25 in Central Islip Federal Court by the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, along with a New York FBI director.
According to the announcement, Odabi was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
The 54-year-old Georgian man is accused of falsely representing a Suffolk resident, known in the case as John Doe, that he needed to pay exorbitant sums to claim an estate from Singapore through the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Odhaby reportedly told the man that once the money was sent, he would get a “certificate of origin” from the IMF, allowing him to inherit the estate.
This is not an IMF issued certificate.
As a result of this scam, between April 2020 and December 2021, John Doe wired a total of approximately $5.3 million to Odabi and his co-conspirators.
Odabi allegedly received approximately $2 million in accounts from a Georgia company he operated.
According to the charges against him, nearly all of the money collected by the scammers was spent on Odabi and his alleged partners in crime, including trips to the Apple Store and Louis Vuitton. Only $197,000 was frozen by bank officials suspected of fraud.
“Odabi and his co-conspirators ruthlessly abused the trust of an elderly victim, stuffing their pockets with millions in stolen cash,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace.
“This office and our partners will work tirelessly to ensure that those who bully some of the most vulnerable members of our community are held accountable for their crimes.”
Odabi was charged with:
- Conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud
- money laundering conspiracy
He is scheduled to appear at Central Islip Federal Court at a later date.
If convicted, he could face up to 40 years in prison.
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