HOUSTON WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO WIRE FRAUD

St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that on May 16, 2022, Marvelous Eghage, 39, of Houston, TX, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller.

According to court documents, between February 26, 2018, and March 13, 2018, Eghage devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses and promises directed to third parties. Through her fraudulent scheme, Eghage diverted funds from her victims to a bank account under her controlled by way of electronic wires and later withdrew or transferred the funds for her own personal benefit and the benefit of others.

Specifically, court documents show that on February 26, 2018, Eghage and a co-conspirator electronically transferred $25,400.00 to an account under Eghage’s control. These funds were fraudulently acquired through forged checks from the account of R.B.R. On March 6, 2018, Eghage and a co-conspirator, fraudulently induced a representative of Colombia-based FDN to electronically transfer $34,965.00 to a Houston, TX bank account under Eghage’s control. On March 7, 2018, Eghage and a co-conspirator fraudulently induced N.D. to electronically transfer approximately $48,000.00 to a Houston, TX bank account controlled by Eghage. On March 8, 2018, Eghage fraudulently induced M.R. to transfer money to a bank account under her control. Lastly, on March 9, 2018, Eghage and a coconspirator fraudulently induced a representative of a law firm based in St. Thomas, VI, to electronically transfer approximately $108,637.00 to a Houston, TX bank account under Eghage’s control. Eghage used email communications to induce her victims into her fraudulent scheme. Eghage faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.00.

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.