Marco Antonio Ramirez, an American businessman, has been sentenced to 68 years in prison for defrauding several individuals in a $1.6 million visa scam. The conviction was handed down by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday. Ramirez was found guilty of a $1.2 million fraud involving the EB-5 visa scheme and a separate $368,698.24 fraud case.
Ramirez, along with his companies, USA NOW LLC, Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP, and USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He allegedly obtained money from victims under the guise of helping them invest in his company, USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, through the EB-5 visa program, which would make them eligible for U.S. Green Cards. However, Ramirez failed to fulfill this promise.
According to a statement by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Ramirez was initially charged with 12 counts, to which he pleaded not guilty. Later, on June 24, 2022, the EFCC amended the charges to 16 counts.
One of the amended charges states that between February and April 2013, Ramirez dishonorably converted $545,000 belonging to Godson Onyemaechi Echegile for his personal use. Another charge revealed that between July and November 2012, he misappropriated $314,800, the property of Abubakar Umar Sadiq.
Prosecutor M.S. Owede presented several documents and witnesses to support the allegations. Ramirez took the stand in his defense but was ultimately found guilty after the trial suffered multiple delays.
The judgment, originally set for May 8, 2024, was postponed to September 10, 2024. Justice Dada ruled that the EFCC had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, sentencing Ramirez to 10 years each on counts one to 12 for false pretenses, and 10 years each on counts 13 to 16 for theft.
In a separate case, Justice Dada also found Ramirez guilty of a nine-count charge of $368,698.24 fraud, also brought by the EFCC. One of these counts revealed that on July 26, 2013, Ramirez fraudulently obtained $250,000 from Gabriel Ogie Edeoghon by falsely promising that the investment would qualify him for a U.S. Green Card under the EB-5 visa program.
Another count disclosed that on March 5, 2014, Ramirez deceived Oludare Talabi into paying $50,281.33 for an L1 visa, which he falsely promised to procure. Despite his not guilty plea, documentary evidence and witness testimonies further implicated him.
After suffering multiple adjournments due to defense delays, the court finally adopted the written addresses on May 8, 2024. In her ruling, Justice Dada concluded that the EFCC had sufficiently established Ramirez’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. As a result, he was sentenced to eight years each on counts one to six, and 10 years each on counts seven and eight.
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