A Nigerian man indicted on 13 counts of bank fraud is fighting extradition from the United Kingdom after federal prosecutors say he used a romance scheme to steal more than $1.2 million from the City of Norfolk's corporate bank account.
Federal prosecutors say more than $1.2 million went missing from the City of Norfolk's corporate account through more than 1,000 fraudulent transactions over the course of about a year.
Individual transactions ranged from small amounts to as much as $20,000, according to court records.
A federal grand jury indicted Habeeb Anibaba, a 29-year-old Nigerian native, on June 7, 2023, on 13 counts of bank fraud. Anibaba is currently being held in a jail in the United Kingdom, where he has filed an appeal fighting extradition to the United States.
His Nigerian voter card was used to track him down.
WTKR first told you about this case in April.
Watch: Man arrested in romance scheme targeting Norfolk
Prosecutors allege Anibaba developed online relationships with women across the U.S., had them send him money, then would "repay" the women using the City of Norfolk's corporate bank account. At least 6 women were used to transfer money out of the city's corporate account and into different accounts. Gift cards and cryptocurrency were also used in the scheme, according to federal prosecutors.
An investigation revealed that the people withdrawing the money were mostly young women between the ages of 20 and 30 years old. They told authorities a similar story — they met a man on a dating website who said he needed help transferring funds.
Court records state it was leaders with the City of Norfolk who called the FBI after they were notified by the bank about the missing money.
Andrew Bosse, a former federal prosecutor and now at the Baughman Kroup Bosse law firm, said bank fraud and romance schemes happen, but noted several unusual aspects of this case.
"The fact that it was targeting the City of Norfolk's bank account, and that it went on for so long, and with so many transactions strikes me as a little bit unusual," Bosse said.
The details in court records are vague about exactly how the city's bank account information was obtained. Bosse said that is likely intentional.
Bosse also addressed the challenge of recovering funds once they leave the United States.
"The issue with a romance scheme, or any bank fraud scheme that has an international element, once the money leaves the U.S, it's often commingled with other funds, routed through different accounts, and dispersed quickly, and so it is very hard to track and claw back once that wire has left, or once the bank funds have left the U.S. If you move quickly enough, it can be done," Bosse said.
Anibaba's defense attorney is fighting to obtain discovery in the case — the evidence prosecutors have gathered against him. Prosecutors are arguing that discovery should not be turned over until Anibaba is on U.S. soil.
"They don't want the discovery to be used in the UK proceedings, and they've cited that as a potential reason for withholding it," Bosse said.
Crime analyst and former Norfolk detective Richard James said the consequences of the scheme extend beyond the city itself.
"The victim in this case is going to be the taxpayers and the victims in the case is going to be the banking institution,” said James.
The City of Norfolk issued the following statement back in April:
"The City was made aware of fraudulent ACH Debits in 2020 and worked quickly with the bank, the City Treasurer and FBI, allowing for recovery of funds. The City has procedures and mechanisms in place to monitor and detect fraudulent activity. To further encourage the early reporting of fraud, waste and abuse, Norfolk City Council authorized the Office of City Auditor to implement and operate the City of Norfolk Fraud Hotline. The Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline may be accessed by calling (757) 664-4003 or through a confidential Fraud Hotline Form." [protect.checkpoint.com]
WTKR asked the city were all the funds recovered, how was this person able to access the city of Norfolk's bank account, and if any security changes been put into place to prevent this from happening again.
They city responded: "There is no additional information to provide."
Court records reveal the appeal process could take a few months, and Anibaba is not expected to be extradited until the beginning of next year.
Anibaba's attorney said he had no comment regarding the matter.
