Lagos Court Sentences American Businessman to 74 Years for $1.2 Million Visa Scam

On Tuesday, September 10, a Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja sentenced American businessman Marco Antonio Ramirez to 74 years in prison for defrauding victims of $1.2 million through an EB-5 visa scam, along with an additional $368,698.24 in fraud.

Justice Mojisola Dada delivered the sentence after finding Ramirez guilty on two separate consolidated charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court determined that the prosecution had established its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

For the first charge, Ramirez received eight years each on counts one to six, and 10 years each on counts seven and eight.

On the second charge, he was sentenced to 10 years each on counts one to 12 for obtaining money by false pretenses, and 10 years each on counts 13 to 16 for theft.

The EFCC stated that Ramirez, along with his companies USA Now LLC, Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP, and USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, deceived victims by promising them access to the Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) U.S. Investor Program, which would have qualified them for a U.S. Green Card and permanent residency.

Instead, Ramirez failed to deliver on these promises and misappropriated the funds for personal use.

The offenses were committed on February 5, 2013, and April 18, 2013, in Lagos.

In her judgment, Justice Dada stated, “The convict dishonestly diverted the money intended for investments to his personal use. The prosecution has successfully proven that the promises made to the victims were fraudulent, and the funds were obtained under false pretenses.”

The EFCC noted that Ramirez’s fraudulent activities occurred in 2013.

One of the victims, Godson Echegile, was defrauded of $545,000, which was falsely presented as a processing fee for an investment that was supposed to qualify him for a U.S. Green Card through the EB-5 program.

Ramirez was originally charged with 12 counts related to fraud and pleaded not guilty. The EFCC later amended the charges, leading to his re-arraignment on 16 counts on June 24, 2022.

On Tuesday, September 10, Justice Dada found Ramirez guilty as charged. He was sentenced to 10 years each on counts one to 12 for obtaining money by false pretenses, and 10 years each on counts 13 to 16 for theft.

Additionally, Ramirez was found guilty on a separate nine-count charge involving $368,698.24 in fraud.

In another case, Ramirez was convicted of defrauding Gabriel Ogie Edeoghon of $250,000 on July 26, 2013.

He had falsely represented the money as an investment in the USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, which would supposedly qualify Edeoghon for a U.S. Green Card through the EB-5 visa program.

For this particular fraud, Ramirez received additional sentences of eight years each on counts one to six, and 10 years each on counts seven and eight.