Court convicts cryptocurrency trader for fraud
On Friday, October 6, 2023, a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, convicted one Lawrence Success Karinate, a Peer-to-Peer crypto dealer, of computer-related fraud.
On Monday, the anti-graft agency issued an official statement on its website, efcc.gov.ng.
According to the statement, Success was convicted on a single count of cybercrime, an offense punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, etc.) Act of 2015.
The count charge stated, "That you, Success Lawrence Karinate, sometime in 2023, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, fraudulently held out yourself on social media platforms, as a female, bearing the name "Jessie Randall", a fashion influencer, to unsuspecting members of the public, with intent to gain advantage for yourself, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes
The statement, on the other hand, stated that the defendant, who regretted his acts, appealed for mercy, and promised the court of his decision not to commit the act again.
"He pleaded "guilty" to the one-count charge preferred against him," according to the statement.
His counsel, Chikezie Kingsley, pleaded with the court for clemency, emphasizing that the defendant was a first-time offender.
Karinate was fined N200,000 by Justice Oweibo, who delivered the verdict.
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