Etim Ekpimah
Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna, has convicted and sentenced Paul Monday (a.k.a Ray Aguilar) to two years imprisonment for internet fraud.
He was jailed after pleading guilty to a charge Internet fraud, preferred against him by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The lone-count charge reads: “You Paul Monday ( a.k.a Ray Aguilar) sometime in June 2023 in Kaduna within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the High Court with intent to defraud, impersonated one Ray Aguilar a military personnel wearing a United States Marine camouflage through your Instagram and Facebook accounts ( a dating site ) when you claimed to be in love with them, when you knew you were not and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 142 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under the same Law”
Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, noted that the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to him. Based on his plea, prosecution counsel, E.K Garba prayed the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Khobo, thereafter convicted and sentenced Monday to two years imprisonment or an option of fine of N150,000(One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only). He also forfeited his iPhone 13 to the government.
Monday’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested in a sting operation carried out by operatives of the Commission in Kaduna state. Investigations showed that he impersonated a Croatian, Hauser Cello and another foreigner, Ray Aguilar to defraud his victims of various sums of money.