Nigerian Couple Faces Deportation For U.S. Catfishing And Identity Theft Scam
Beware the evolved catfishing scam.
A Nigerian couple has been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a “catfishing” scheme using the U.S. Postal Service.
Julie Okoronkwo and her husband, Edwin Okoronkwo, were convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the Department of Justice. Julie was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison, two years of probation, and deportation. Edwin received a 75-month sentence, three years of probation, and deportation after serving his full sentence. The couple will be responsible for repaying $337,535 and $342,535, respectively.
The couple, permanent resident aliens living in Omaha, Nebraska, used multiple social media profiles to target victims online. They posed as high-ranking military officers and sometimes as military members on secret missions.
The couple received funds through FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service, and online wire transfer methods such as Zelle and PayPal.
“The Okoronkwos used victims’ personal identifying information (PII) obtained from identity theft victims to open bank accounts and other online financial services accounts, including peer-to-peer digital payments platforms (e.g., PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App),” the DOJ detailed the operation in a press release.
It is unclear what the Okoronkwos said to gain the trust of their victims, but unfortunately, it worked. The people swindled by the Nigerian couple are not alone, as different versions of the “Nigerian scam” have yielded similar results since the early 2000s.
In July 2023, CBS News reported on the “sextortion” scam. Like the Nebraska couple, these scammers used online social media profiles to contact potential victims. The scammer would then ask for salacious images of their target and threaten to release the photos if monetary demands were unmet.
According to CBS reporting, many of these fake accounts were found on Meta’s Facebook—all Nigerian accounts.
To date, Meta has removed more than 63,000 accounts linked to the sextortion schemes.
10 Black Leaders Who Take Your Civil Rights Seriously
Civil rights leadership is not dead
As Black Americans enter Black History Month and stand in the face of what might very well be a Civil Rights Movement 2.0, it’s fitting to celebrate our contemporary heroes and learn about these 10 leaders who take Black lives and our civil rights seriously.
Al Sharpton
National Action Network
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Sharpton has a 60-plus-year history in the civil rights movement. The popular activist got his start as a youth director for Jesse Jackson’s Operation Breadbasket at age 13. Sharpton became notable for his response to injustice in New York City streets. The civil rights leader led a march through Howard Beach, Queens, after a white mob beat three Black men.
Ben Crump
Ben Crump Law, Civil Rights Attorney
Attorney Ben Crump speaks at a press conference outside the federal courthouse on July 15, 2020, in Minneapolis. (Photo by Kerem Yucel/ AFP via Getty Images)
Benjamin Crump hails from Lumberton, North Carolina, and studied criminal justice at Florida State University. Crump specializes in civil rights cases and wrongful death lawsuits. He is notable for representing the family of Trayvon Martin after an overzealous community safety officer killed the 17-year-old. Crump is currently representing Black families impacted by recent Los Angeles wildfires.
Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Love & Power Works, Activist
MarylandGov Pics, Wikimedia Commons
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Cunningham got started protesting the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson. Cunningham co-founded Campaign Zero and was chosen for former President Obama’s task force for policing. She is active in the Children’s Defense Fund Action Council and the board of New Disabled South.
Bryan Stevenson
Equal Justice Initiative, Law Professor, Social Justice Activist
Bryan Stevenson at TED2012: Full Spectrum, February 27 – March 2, 2012. Long Beach, CA. Photo: James Duncan Davidson
Bryan Stevenson is from Milton, Delaware.
Stevenson began his civil rights work at Harvard University, where he worked at Stephen Bright’s Southern Center for Human Rights. He fought for prison reform and is most noted for founding the Equal Justice Initiative and creating the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery, Alabama.
Derrick Johnson
NAACP, President and CEO
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for Play Golf Designs Inc., PGD Global
Derrick Johnson is from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Tougaloo College and studied law at South Texas College of Law in Houston before becoming the president of the Mississippi chapter of the NAACP. Johnson is heralded for his frontline leadership with the organization and civil rights advocacy. Johnson wrote an opinion piece that laid out the connection between COVID-19 and Black death.
Sherilynn Ifill
Howard Law School, Distinguished Professor of Civil Rights
Photo credit: Maryland GovPics
Ifill served the NAACP Legal Defense Fund as its seventh president and director-counsel emeritus after being a fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union. Ifill’s leadership and teaching on civil rights and the law provide a visionary look at contemporary civil rights. In 2020, Ifill was named “Attorney of the Year” among many other accolades, such as being named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2021. Ifill is currently a Distinguished Professor of Civil Rights at Howard Law School.
Kristen Clarke
Civil Rights Attorney
Public domain
A Jamaican-born Brooklynite, Clarke got her start in civic engagement working as a trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights division. She also worked with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, addressing voting rights. In 2021, Clarke was called to serve as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice.
LaTosha Brown
Black Voters Matter
Courtesy of LaTosha Brown
Selma, Alabama, is where Brown was born and came into her civil rights activism. Brown held the role of chairwoman of disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina. After a series of firsthand experiences with voter suppression, Brown started the Black Voters Matter Fund in 2016. She is known for her commitment to voter rights, particularly in the South. Brown’s current work is with the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium.
Lee Meritt
Merritt Law Firm, Civil Rights Attorney
Photo credit: FeaturingDallas, Wikimedia Commons
Lee Merritt, a civil rights attorney from Los Angeles, California, fights for civil rights nationwide. He started his legal career with the Cochran firm in Philadelphia and helped launch the American Black Cross disaster relief organization. The civil rights attorney is widely known for representing cases against police brutality, tackling high-profile cases such as Ahmaud Arbery, Brionna Taylor, and George Floyd.
Marc Morial
National Urban League, President and CEO
U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Canada
Public domain
Marc Morial was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and served as the Crescent City’s youngest mayor for eight years from 1994 to 2002. Morial got his start as a Louisiana state representative. Morial is the first elected official to hold office as president and CEO of the National Urban League and continues to serve today.
Melanie Campbell
President and CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Photo credit: Sarah Mirk
Melanie Campbell is from Mims, Florida, and has served the Black community as a civil rights activist since her youth. Campbell studied at Clark Atlanta University, where she served as a student organizer for the NAACP. Campbell is known for her mentorship, voter outreach campaign, and creating the Black Youth Vote.
Michelle Alexander
Civil Rights Advocate
Photo credit, Miller Center, Wikimedia Commons
Michelle Alexander is an advocate, author, and attorney born in Chicago, Illinois. As the former director of the Racial Justice Project, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California, she was part of a team that led the national “Driving While Black and Brown” campaign to fight police profiling. Alexander is most known for her critically acclaimed book, The New Jim Crow.
Tamika D. Mallory
Social Justice Activist
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 25: Tamika Mallory attends Dinner with Taraji P. Henson hosted by the BET Awards at Citizen News Hollywood on June 25, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
Tamika Mallory is a Harlem, New York, native who started her career with the National Action Network, where she served as its youngest executive director. Mallory is known for rallying younger activists around civic engagement and civil rights. She was integral in organizing the Women’s March on Washington in 2017. Mallory’s memoir, I Lived To Tell The Story, drops Feb. 11.
Tarana Burke,
me.too, Social Justice Activist
Photo credit: Jon Tadiello, Wikimedia Commons
Tarana Burke is Bronx, New York-born, and she got her firsthand seat for activism at an early age. The 30-year activist served with the 21st-century Youth Leadership organization. Burke was a leader in her work against police brutality and for equal housing. Burke is known for her social justice work around sexual violence and gender-based justice and evolving the Me Too movement.
Howard Professor And Civil Rights Attorney Dies In D.C. Plane Crash
Kiah Duggins was an incoming professor at Howard University's law school.
Among the 67 who died in the Jan. 29 collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a military Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., was soon-to-be professor at Howard University.
Kiah Duggins, 30, a Civil Rights attorney and Harvard graduate, was set to begin teaching law at the D.C.-based historically Black college and university (HBCU) in the fall.
Duggins, born and raised in Kansas, had long been an advocate for justice system reform. She worked for the Civil Rights Corps, fighting against “police abuse and pretrial detention.”
“My family has been personally affected by the harms of the criminal legal system, and I went to law school to help remedy some of those harms and make sure that other people don’t experience it,” Duggins said on the One4UsBrand podcast.
Howard University released a statement after Duggins was identified as one of the crash victims.
“It is with profound sadness that Howard University School of Law and the broader Howard University community have learned of the passing of Professor Kiah Duggins, who was among those lost in the mid-air plane collision at Reagan National Airport,” the statement read.
Professor Duggins was set to begin a new chapter as a professor at Howard University School of Law this fall. As a civil rights lawyer, she dedicated her career to fighting unconstitutional policing and unjust money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
“We ask for privacy and respect for Professor Duggins’ family, students, and colleagues during this difficult time. Plans to honor her legacy will be shared in the coming days.”
Report: Women’s Wages And Spending Power Growing Faster Than Men’s
According to the data, women’s employment growth has a lot to do with their strong spending power as women continue to outpace the national average.
A new report shows that consumer spending remained resilient throughout 2024, and the reason for this is women. According to data from the Bank of America Institute, women’s median annual income growth continues to outpace men. It’s a difference that has increased to the highest level in over three years. With more median discretionary income, women are keeping spending growth strong and steady.
“When we look at discretionary spending, we find that on average, women’s spending growth has outpaced men’s by 20bps for each of the past two years, and with the exception of 2022, has been stronger than men’s since 2019,” the report said.
Numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveal that women’s average employment grew 1.63% year-over-year (YoY) in 2024, compared to 1.62% YoY for the overall population. Women-intensive sectors include social services, personal services, health services, educational services, and apparel stores.
“It’s perhaps unsurprising then that women’s labor force participation rate has seen relatively strong gains,” the report reads. “One reason for this strength has been the continued rise in education enrollment among women.”
Women between the ages of 25 and 34 remain more likely than men in the same age group to have a bachelor’s degree, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey. 47% of U.S. women between the ages of 25 and 34 have a bachelor’s degree, compared with 37% of men.
“So, women’s productivity has increased on two fronts – in education and in the workforce,” according to the Bank of America report.
Even with the gain for women, analysts say women’s economic power has yet to be realized.
“Women – through their increased participation in the workforce, importance to service-providing sectors, and amplified spending power – are playing an increasingly important role in US economic growth. Even so, there remains untapped potential, which would unequivocally benefit the economy,” the report says.
Head’s Plumbing is a fourth-generation family-owned service looking to give back to South Fulton, Georgia.
Determined to help, the company investigated multiple charities in the area and settled on supporting Nicholas House, a shelter for the unhoused population of Atlanta.
Partnering with their vendor ServiceTitan, the team at Head’s Plumbing revitalized the heating system for the facility. The renovations will allow residents to care for their hygiene with fully functional hot water systems.
Khadija Head, CEO of Head’s Plumbing, spoke to Fulton Neighbor about taking on such a large project. She emphasized the family’s desire to serve as many people in the Fulton community as possible.
“So I sat down with my brother Odari and told him that I didn’t want to do a single-family home — I wanted to do something that would touch a lot of people. The core of our culture, our community, and our future is a true family dynamic,” she said.
The company installed upgraded water heaters on each floor of the three-story building. The upgrades also included water filters to clean plumbing lines and extend the life of the equipment.
Head said the act serves a dual purpose: inspiring others to give back to the community, which is rich in spirit and culture, and encouraging individuals to consider plumbing as a career path.
“My wish is that there’s a future technician in here — a child who never knew what they wanted to be when they grow up — who will have this impression in their mind: ‘Maybe I can be a plumber,’” Head told Fulton Neighbor.
According to its website, Nicholas House served over 550 families in 2024. The organization is operated with funding from donations. As well as housing, the team at Nicholas House provides transportation cards, child enrichment services, and household essentials to its patrons.
In order to help Nicholas House continue its mission of helping Atlanta’s unhoused community, donate here.
Dr. Dre, Sheila E. Assist Anderson .Paak During Benefit Concert In California
The artists prfrmed at the Fire Aid benefit oncert in Inglewood California to assist those affected by the recent fies in Los Angeles
A benefit concert took place at Intuit Dome and Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, on Jan. 30 to assist efforts to help people who were affected by the recent fires in Los Angeles and during Anderson .Paak’s set, the musician brought out Dr. Dre and Sheila E.
According to Variety, several acts took to the stage at the two arenas to assist with getting donations for FireAid. Some of those artists included Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Lil Baby, among others. One of the highlights of many throughout the night was when Anderson .Paak brought Dr. Dre and legendary drummer Sheila E. to the stage while he was performing.
The Compton producer performed one of his hit songs, “Still D.R.E.,” and also did his vocals for the Tupac song, “California Love” which the music producer was featured on.
The man born as Andre Young also gave props to first responders during the set.
“I want to say this is a magical moment for me,” said Dre. “I got so much love for you guys and this summer will be the mark of 40 years that I’ve been in this business. And I appreciate all the love that you guys have been giving me, and the reason that we’re here, I appreciate all the first responders and firemen that put their lives on the line and I appreciate all that love. It’s all about love for me tonight. But guess what else I got?”
But, Anderson .Paak didn’t just bring Dre onstage, he also brought Sheila E. on to show off her legendary skills.
She helped him with the songs “Put Me Thru” and “Come Down,” showing he could still drum with the best of them.
Former South Fulton Purchasing Manager Speaks Out After Current Mayor Faces Misspending Backlash
In two months, Malcolm Whichard uncovered extreme levels of financial abuse.
The City of South Fulton, Georgia’s purchasing manager for two months broke his silence over Mayor Khalid Kamau’s allegations of financial abuse, WSB-TV reported.
The city council filed an ethics complaint against Kamau over his spending in January 2024.
During his time at the office, Malcolm Whichard said he uncovered extreme levels of financial abuse. He remembered when Kamau, now known as Mayor Kobi, asked to purchase $15,000 worth of furniture from IKEA. Prior to successfully winning a wrongful termination suit, Whichard was fired for allegedly enforcing the city’s P-card (corporate credit card) policy.
South Fulton’s mayor is under investigation for purchasing order expenses dating back to 2022.
“There’s just a lack of oversight,” Whichard said, after audits showed a $19,000 purchase order for an unapproved media lab where, under city ordinance rules, purchases over $2,500 must be approved by the city manager. A trail of unapproved flights—one to Paris and another to Africa—for Kamau and two employees, was also uncovered.
Collectively, the flights cost the city over $8,000. One city official claimed the city is investigating why some purchases weren’t approved by either the current interim purchase manager or the city manager.
Kamau walked out of a city council meeting when he was questioned about the charged expenses, specifically the 20-day trip to Africa. The council denied the mayor’s request to present international groups he recruited during the meeting and booted the presentation off the agenda, frustrating Kamau.
“I will say that I am very dismayed by the actions of this council,” he said. “This is not the meeting that a team of us worked on planning, so I am not going to facilitate it.”
When he returned, Kamau said he was “distressed and disappointed that the blackest city in one of the blackest states in the United States of America is into Black History Month with this all-Black council tearing each other down.”
“I can’t continue to sit here and let you make it seem like we’re the villains and you’re the victim,” Councilwoman Helen Willis said. “Those cameras are in the back of the room, not because of us,” she said. We are not tearing you down, you took your Black behind over to Africa for 20 days and didn’t tell anybody.”
The audit also revealed multiple flight upgrades when the corporate credit card policy only permits economy flight purchases. The ethics board is scheduled to recommend Kamau to issue repayment or resign.
“To be quite frank…if he could take luxury trips on his own dime, he would have,” Whichard said. “So, the city is never going to see that money again.”
Survey: 1 In 8 Companies Slated To Deplete DEI Commitments And Funding This Year
Resume.org polled more than 1,000 companies that had DEI programs in 2024.
A new survey reveals 1 in 8 companies erasing DEI efforts and “eliminating or slashing the budget” in 2025.
This discovery is from a Resume.org survey released this month of more than 1,000 companies with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in 2024. .
Of companies surveyed with DEI programs last year, 5% report they’ve removed DEI programs, while another 8% are reducing their budget. Simultaneously, 65% report their DEI budget will remain the same, and 22% plan to boost funding.
Forty-nine percent of companies are trimming or eliminating DEI programs due to political climate changes. That political landscape was perhaps elevated this month after President Donald Trump’s signed an executive order halting DEI programs across the federal government.
To boot, economic pressures (37%) and an insufficient return on investment (ROI) or impact (36%) are among the factors. Furthermore, 36% declare DEI efforts were not well-received by employees, and 28% of respondents feel DEI no longer aligns with their business priorities.
The Resume.org survey came as this report showed that work is needed to help improve DEI and make it more progressive in corporate America. Plus, supporters say corporate DEI can be actively used to boost revenues, profits, recruitment efforts, and attract diverse customers.
Among companies that have trimmed or erased DEI efforts, 51% have redirected funds to general operating expenses, and 40% are investing in AI or tech initiatives. Twenty-eight percent have channeled funds to employees’ salaries or benefits, 24% to marketing, and 8% have invested in office space or the like. But not all companies are abandoning DEI. T
“Many companies have faced budget cuts and may view DEI as non-essential, reallocating resources to more immediate profit-driven areas,” Irina Pichura, a career coach for Resume.org, said in a statement.
“Some companies also abandon DEI programs due to difficulties quantifying their impact, leading them to question their value,” she added. “However, eliminating DEI programs can result in less inclusive workplace cultures and reduce psychological safety for underrepresented groups.”
The outlet cites an anonymous source close to Williams. Linda Redlisky is the court-appointed lawyer assigned to Williams’ case. According to reports, Williams requested that court-appointed attorney Linda Redlisky file paperwork to initiate the end of the conservatorship, but the attorney did not follow through.
Williams then hired a private attorney to move forward with her case. Although Williams claims she has no access to her money, her niece, Alex Finnie, has set up a GoFundMe to assist.
As of Friday afternoon, Jan. 31, fans have contributed nearly $45,000 of the $50,000 goal.
On Jan. 21, the GoFundMe account posted an update on Williams’ legal situation.
“We will be officially retaining the law firm of Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas LLP (SSRGA) to represent Alex Finnie to petition the court to address all issues pertaining to Wendy Williams’ guardianship.”
Williams has been speaking out on her own behalf after her caregivers reported that she was “permanently incapacitated” due to a diagnosis of “frontotemporal dementia and aphasia,” and was unable to make decisions with a sound mind.
In an effort to quell rumors, Williams has done multiple public interviews. On Jan. 16, she spoke on the radio show The Breakfast Club to discuss her living conditions and what she believes is “emotional abuse.”
“My life is f—ked up,” she said. “I feel like I’m in prison. I’m definitely isolated. I keep the door closed, I watch TV, listen to the radio, and look out the window. I sit here as my life goes by.”
Williams, 60, pointed out that her condition seem inappropriate for someone of her age and abilities, as she is housed with people as old as 90.
“Anybody that knows my aunt knows she’s always had a unique personality,” Finnie said. “How she’s talking, that’s her. That’s who she is. Don’t try to twist how she is.”
