In Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, October 6, 2023, a Federal High Court found Lawrence Success Karinate, a Peer-to-Peer cryptocurrency trader, guilty of computer-related fraud.
The anti-graft agency conveyed this information via an official statement on its website, efcc.gov.ng, on Monday.
According to the statement, Success was convicted on a single charge related to cybercrimes, a violation under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, etc.) Act, 2015.
The charge read, “In 2023, within this Honorable Court’s jurisdiction, you, Success Lawrence Karinate, with the intent to deceive, deceitfully represented yourself on social media platforms as ‘Jessie Randall,’ a fashion influencer, to unsuspecting members of the public, seeking personal gain, thereby committing an offense against Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, etc.) Act, 2015.”
The statement also revealed that the defendant, who expressed remorse for his actions, appealed for leniency and vowed to cease engaging in such activities.
He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the one-count charge filed against him,” the statement stated.
Nevertheless, his attorney, Chikezie Kingsley, requested clemency from the court, emphasizing that the defendant had no prior criminal record.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Oweibo imposed a fine of N200,000 on Karinate.
