A High Court Gwagwala, FCT, on Thursday sentenced a 19-year-old student, Jayeola Goodnews to six months imprisonment for defrauding an American woman of 540 dollars.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Goodnews with one count of fraud.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency.
Delivering judgment, Justice Aliyu Shafa, gave him an option of fine of N200, 000.
Shafa ordered that the 540 dollars recovered from the convict be forfeited to the federal government through the EFCC.
Earlier, the convict had pleaded with the court for mercy, adding that he regretted his action and promise not to engage in such again.
“I am sorry for committing the crime and I will not do such again, I was introduction into internet fraud by my cousin and I promise not to do that again,”he pleaded.
The Defence Counsel, Nnamdi Akuneto in support of the allocutus by the convict told the court that the convict has been remorseful and regrets his actions.
Akuneto pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy.
The Prosecution Counsel, Daniel Iloakasia told the court that the convict and his counsel had entered and signed a plea bargain on May 22.
He told the court that the convict sometime in 2023 swindled, Michelle, an American of 540 dollars.
He said that the convict who presented himself as Lee kwagsoo, an actor, used the google account known as leekwagsoo5-47@gmail.com.
He said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 320(a) and punishment under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 532 of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The prosecutor in an application prayed the court to order the forfeiture of the 540 dollars recovered from the convict .
