Sunday, March 28, 2010
Dud cheques land American, lover in detention

TOYOSI OGUNSEYE


THE arrest of Sharon Denis Thorpe on Feb. 20, 2010 was a drama to behold at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

[img]http://odili.net/news/source/2010/mar/28/punch/images/pix20100328323628[1].jpg[/img]
Sharon Denis Thorpe





Most of the travellers at the check-in counter of the airport could not fathom what would make operatives of the State Security Service arrest a beautiful young American lady.

They watched in astonishment as an argument ensued between Thorpe and the security men after which she was asked to step out of the line and immediately arrested for allegedly having 'counterfeit instruments' worth $760,668 (about N114m) in her possession.

She was not alone. Her Nigerian fiancé, Musediku Kehinde, who was at the airport to see her off, was also arrested.

That was not Thorpe's first visit to Nigeria. Only that this time, her four-month stay has gradually turned into a nightmare. She first visited Kehinde in April 2009 and later came back in November 2009.

She was returning to her base in North Carolina, when she was allegedly caught with the fake financial documents.

When the documents were scrutinised, it was found that they included 42 pieces of Barner Bank cheques, 48 pieces of Citizens Bank cheques, 17 pieces of Fifth Third Bank cheques, 24 pieces of M&T bank cheques, 26 pieces of AmSouth Bank cheques and 15 pieces of Timber Wood cheques that were not genuine.

The SSS operatives then handed the suspects over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

When Thorpe who works with disabled patients in their houses under the employment of Maimade Nursing Agency, USA, and her boyfriend got to the Lagos office of the EFCC, their statements did not help investigators to unravel the source of the package allegedly found on the American.

Thorpe, 25, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, claimed that the parcel was given to her by one Femi Atom, who is a friend to her fiancé, for delivery to another friend in the USA. She also told the investigators that she did not have the address and telephone numbers of Atom.

It was learnt that Thorpe, who has a General Education Diploma Certificate and a certificate as a nursing assistant was not co-operative with the officials of the anti-graft agency.

A source at the commission said, "Under normal circumstances, we should have charged them to court since but that was not possible because they did not cooperate with us.

"We needed to know the source of the fake cheques so that our investigations will be more thorough but the suspects refused to talk.

"When the couple finally did, they insisted that they must have their lawyers which we had no problem with but at the end of the day, they couldn't still give us useful clues. We can't keep them with us forever so they are going to court."

Kehinde, a native of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, also denied any link to the parcel. The 25-year-old claimed that he had a 2002 Ordinary National Diploma in Banking and Finance from The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

Further investigations showed that the man was deported from the United States in 2006 after he and his elder brother, Lukman, were convicted by Wake Sheriff Department Court, Raleigh, for obtaining property by false pretences and financial identity theft.

His father, Olayinka Kehinde, a cab driver in USA was reportedly interviewed over this case in the United States.

The head, media and publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed SUNDAY PUNCH's findings.

He said, "Sharon was arrested with $760,668.04 counterfeit American bank cheques as she was about to board a Qatar Airline flight to the United States of America.

"The suspect who holds an American passport No. 457647779 issued at North Carolina, USA, on Dec. 30, 2008, had been in Nigeria since November 2009, ostensibly on vacation with Musediku Akorede Kehinde, her fiancé, who is believed to be the mastermind of the crime. Kehinde was also at the airport. The couple will jointly face a Federal High Court on a 205-count charge bordering on forgery."

One of the 205 counts reads as follows, "That you Sharon Denis Thorpe and Musediku Kehinde on the 20th day of February 2010 in the Lagos division of the Federal High Court conspired to commit an offence to wit; forgery and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 19(3) (6) and punishable under section (2) (a) of the miscellaneous offences Act CAP M17, Vol.9, laws of the federation of Nigeria."

Our correspondent sent a mail to the American Embassy, Abuja, to get their reaction on the arrest of Thorpe by Nigerian security operatives and a reply was being awaited as at press time.

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/mar/28/826.html

No be only us Nigerians dey thief o. 419 is world wide.

Aloy+Emeka:

No be only us Nigerians dey thief o. 419 is world wide.

Well. there's still no proof that this AMerican was involved in any conspiracy to defraud, is there?
She claims she was given the parcel by a friend of her fiance's. Until this story can be disproved, she's innocent until proven guilty!

but yes, not only Nigerians do 419.

Aloy+Emeka:

No be only us Nigerians dey thief o. 419 is world wide.

True. but in this case, a nigerian is involved. how are we sure he's not the one using her?

Carlosein:

True. but in this case, a nigerian is involved. how are we sure he's not the one using her?

Do you ask the same questions when Nigerians are caught in similar circumstances?

You might as well give her the benefit of the doubt. It is likely she is an innocent victim in more ways than one. I guess that is why the cops were reluctant to lay charges against her.

Aloy+Emeka:

No be only us Nigerians dey thief o. 419 is world wide.

Yess ooo. . . .  Crime only EXISTS in Nigeria, right? Nonsense!!!!!

Fraud is NOT the problem, the lack of a more effective system that ensures prosecution of fraudsters is. Ask any decent being if he would rather be swindled in Nigeria or in America. I am 99% sure the answer will be in America. Why? Because he/she is more likely to either get his money back and live to see his bilker in jail for the crime committed, or both. How often does that happen with people bilked by Nigerians in Nigeria? lol . More times than not, you will watch the same thief get a chieftancy title, get a street named after him and even made honorable rep of the community filled with people he stole from. lol

Aloy+Emeka:

Do you ask the same questions when Nigerians are caught in similar circumstances?

would it surprise you if i said 'yes'?

Kobojunkie:

Yess ooo. . . .  Crime only EXISTS in Nigeria, right? Nonsense!!!!!

Fraud is NOT the problem, the lack of a more effective system that ensures prosecution of fraudsters is.  Ask any decent being if he would rather be swindled in Nigeria or in America. I am 99% sure the answer will be in America. Why? Because he/she is more likely to either get his money back and live to see his bilker in jail for the crime committed, or both. How often does that happen with people bilked by Nigerians in Nigeria? lol . More times than not, you will watch the same thief get a chieftancy title, get a street named after him and even made honorable rep of the community filled with people he stole from. lol

I don't know of any decent being who will like to be swindled in the first place.

she was on a revenge mission.

That's my sister and we have the same mom and dad. Musie never should have talked her to going over there. He is going to take blame nomatter what. He know whats right and wrong in that country even if she didn't! Sis you are in my prayers, love you!

shinebanks:

That's my sister and we have the same mom and dad. Musie never should have talked her to going over there. He is going to take blame nomatter what. He know whats right and wrong in that country even if she didn't!  Sis you are in my prayers, love you!

Are you saying that your sister didn't know she was carrying fake checks and documents?. Blame your sister here and not Musie(whomever that is). Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Its like asking for a Nigerian held on drug charges in the US to be released because only his/her American partners knows what is right and wrong in America. Carrying fake checks is wrong in every country in the world and I want you to write it down now because I don't want to hear excuse tomorrow.

shinebanks make them hear it in your mouth.

Does anyone care to know the outcome of the event, guess no one care!. Sharon has been released after sentenced to 2yrs. She is now back in the states leaving her life forgetting the past. Through the investigation, I discovered that femi atom was apprehended by EFCC but later released for unknown reason. Since 2010. Muse has been remanded and released from custody back and forth anytime the judge presiding his case has been transfered.
Our law in the country has not been thoroughly define, and it has been delaying cases that could have been resolved and turned them to decades of proceeding.
At certain time, EFCC failed to appear in court for months and the presiding judge at the time forced the defense to notify EFCC that they have on going case. Now, another Judge is been assigned to the case, which probably means the defendant wI'll be detained. Many laws in this country need to be revisited and those chosen to enforce it need to be scrutinized if they are conpetent

AloyEmeka5:


Are you saying that your sister didn't know she was carrying fake checks and documents?. Blame your sister here and not Musie(whomever that is). Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Its like asking for a Nigerian held on drug charges in the US to be released because only his/her American partners knows what is right and wrong in America. Carrying fake checks is wrong in every country in the world and I want you to write it down now because I don't want to hear excuse tomorrow.

You are off the point, nothing in the statement allege whether she know of it or not. The question is she wouldn't have come over here to transport fraudulent check to her country without an accomplice.