U.S. court sentences Woodberry to eight years in prison for internet fr@ud

Convicted internet fr@udster, Jacob Olalekan Ponle better known as Woodberry, has been sentenced to eight years and three months in prison for his coordination of a multimillion-dollar fr@ud.

Woodberry, an associate of imprisoned internet fr@udster Hushpuppi, was sentenced on Tuesday, July 11 by Judge Robert Gettleman of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.

Peoples Gazette reports that Woodberry was sentenced after being convicted on one count of fr@ud.

Seven other counts were dismissed following a plea bargain in April that was previously reported by The Gazette.

The judge ordered the convict to submit himself to the U.S. Marshal Service for onward transfer to the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, where his family members, especially his American fiancée, would be allowed to visit him.

“He will also be surrendered to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation immediately following his incarceration,” the judge said.

The Nigerian-born fr@udster will pay seven victims about $8 million in restitution, with the court finding that he has the capacity to make the full payment but waived all interests on the restitution value.

American prosecutors had on June 29 asked the judge to sentence Woodberry to 14 years in prison for the fr@ud he committed between January and September 2019.

The prosecutors also sought court permission to sell the fraudster’s 152 bitcoins, but only after a 30 days’ notice had been issued to the public for anyone with interest in the assets to file claims. No one with legitimate interest appeared to have surfaced as of the time of his sentencing…(continue reading from NEXT slide)