The federal bureau of investigation, FBI, of the United States is set to sell off 152 bitcoin worth 3.2 billion Naira seized from internet fraudster Olalekan Jacob Ponle, popularly known as Woodberry after he pleaded guilty to a N6.1bn wire fraud.
This was disclosed in a document filed on Friday at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, reported the people’s gazette.
The U.S. Marshal Service will assume custody of the seized cryptocurrency for disposal.
This decision follows Mr. Woodberry’s agreement to forfeit all proceeds from the wire fraud scheme, which he orchestrated under the alias ‘Mark Kain’.
Interested individuals are encouraged by federal authorities to file a claim for the seized property within 30 days and provide valid documentation during the registration process.
The statement reads in part,
“Provide written notice to any person known to have alleged an interest in the property that is the subject of the preliminary order of forfeiture.”
“The United States shall publish notice of this order and of its intent to dispose of the property.” the federal authorities said in the motion filed by Morris Pasqual, an acting U.S. attorney overseeing the case.“The United States requests that the terms and conditions of this preliminary order of forfeiture entered by this court be made part of the sentence imposed against defendant Olalekan Jacob Ponle and included in any judgment and commitment order entered in this case against him.”
Dockaysworld recalls that on June 29, federal prosecutors asked a judge to sentence, Mr Woodberry, to 14 years’ imprisonment for the fraud he committed between January and September 2019.
