American Businessman Convicted Of Visa Scam, Gets 100-Year Prison Term

An American businessman, Marco Antonio Ramirez, was found guilty of a $1.5 million EB-5 visa scam by a Nigerian court.

The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, sentenced him to a total of 100 years in prison.

Ramirez was convicted of defrauding investors who sought to obtain U.S. green cards through the EB-5 program, which allows foreign investors to gain residency in exchange for investing in U.S. businesses.

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Prosecutors from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that Ramirez obtained funds from investors under false pretenses, promising to help them secure green cards but failing to deliver on his promises.

The court found Ramirez guilty of 16 counts of obtaining money by false pretenses and 8 counts of stealing. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for each count, resulting in a total of 100 years.

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In addition to the prison sentence, Ramirez was ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his scam. The amount of restitution has not yet been determined.