Two Nigerians Jailed In Ireland Over €6.17m Global Fraud
A Dublin court has sentenced two Nigerian nationals to a combined 16 and a half years in prison for their roles in a global money laundering network linked to more than €6 million in fraud proceeds.
The convicted men, Ejike Francis Ogbuefi, 42, and Steven Silvester, 32, were found guilty of directing the activities of a criminal organisation involved in laundering money generated through romance scams and smishing operations.
Ogbuefi, of Clonard Road, Crumlin, Dublin, was convicted of directing a criminal organisation, 32 counts of money laundering, and seven counts of conspiracy to launder money.
Silvester, of The Paddocks, Morristown, Newbridge, County Kildare, was convicted of directing a criminal organisation, five counts of money laundering, two counts of attempted money laundering, four counts of conspiracy to launder money, and one count of using a false instrument.
Their convictions followed a long-running investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and a jury trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
During sentencing, the court heard that both men occupied senior roles in the criminal network, operating above money mules and mule herders used to move illicit funds through multiple bank accounts.
Judge Martin Nolan, while addressing the scale and structure of the operation, remarked during the hearing that the two men appeared to be a “colonel and a major” within the laundering ring, a description accepted by the investigating officer, Detective Garda Steven Kelly.
Prosecutors told the court that the pair coordinated the supply and monitoring of bank accounts used to receive and transfer criminal proceeds. Investigators said both men were in regular contact with individuals who issued laundering instructions, often through phone numbers traced to Nigeria.
One of the pieces of evidence presented in court was a nine-minute voice note allegedly received by Ogbuefi and forwarded to Silvester, containing operational instructions from another participant in the scheme.
The court also heard that material recovered from Ogbuefi’s phone contained detailed guidance on transaction volumes, account requirements, and designated roles within the operation. Prosecutors said he instructed that some accounts be opened using Irish identities to avoid attracting suspicion.
Part of the prosecution’s case centred on the movement of funds believed to be the proceeds of crime through accounts held in the names of third parties. In one example presented to the court, more than €19,000 was transferred from an account in Dubai and then quickly moved to an account in Italy, despite the named account holder having no employment or visible income to justify the transaction.
Further details presented in court showed that Ogbuefi entered Ireland as a student, while Silvester had previously lived in direct provision before later becoming transient.
Defence lawyers told the court that both men accepted the jury’s verdict and expressed remorse. Silvester’s counsel said his client had been under pressure and did not come to Ireland intending to engage in criminal conduct, but became involved during a difficult and vulnerable period.
The court was also told that neither man had any previous convictions in Ireland or elsewhere.
In passing sentence, Judge Nolan said both men were regarded positively by their families and had the intelligence and personal capacity to rehabilitate. He also commended investigators for what he described as a diligent and evidence-driven inquiry.
The case adds to growing concern in Ireland and across Europe over the use of cross-border financial networks to move proceeds from online fraud, particularly scams targeting vulnerable victims through fake romantic relationships and deceptive mobile messages.