Date: 03-10-2023

Case Style:

United States of America v. Gustaf Njei

Case Number: 1:21-cr-10196

Judge: F. Dennis Saylor IV

Court: United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Suffolk County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office in Boston

Defendant's Attorney:

Description: Boston, Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with engaging in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme.

Federal Courthouse - Boston, Massachusetts

MoreLaw Legal News For Boston

Gustaf Njei, 27, set up a bank account in the name of a fake business, “Njei Trading,” to receive the criminal proceeds of a BEC scheme. A BEC scheme is a sophisticated scam often targeting businesses involved in wire transfer payments. The fraud is carried out by compromising and/or “spoofing” legitimate business email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques, to cause employees of the victim company (or other individuals involved in legitimate business transactions) to transfer funds to accounts controlled by the scammers.

Njei’s co-conspirators used hacked and spoofed email accounts to trick the victims of the scheme into wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to a bank account under Njei’s control. Njei then transferred part of the funds to a bank account located overseas, while splitting the remaining funds with a co-conspirator in the United States.

“Since June 2016, victims have lost over $43 billion to BEC fraud schemes just like the one Mr. Njei and his co-conspirators engaged in. The network of online criminals targeting victims is growing every day and their tools are getting more sophisticated. This sentence should send a clear message to scammers that they will be identified and held accountable,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Njei knew he was engaging in a devastating fraud scheme, but all that mattered to him was lining his pockets with proceeds stolen from unwitting innocent victims. This sentence holds him accountable and we will to make sure that the restitution the court ordered gets to his victims.”

“Scam artists like Gustaf Njei are committing fraud on a massive scale and must be held accountable. This sentence does exactly that, although the harm the victims in this case suffered can’t be measured in dollars and cents,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Every year, victims lose billions of dollars of their hard-earned money, along with many sleepless nights, and fear losing their businesses and credibility. This case shows the FBI will do everything it can to find and hold financial fraudsters like Mr. Njei accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Brady and Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 2- WIRE FRAUD; AIDING AND ABETTING
(1-2)

31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(1); 18 U.S.C. § 2- STRUCTURING TO AVOID REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; AIDING AND ABETTING
(3)

18 U.S.C. § 1957- UNLAWFUL MONETARY TRANSACTION
(4)

18 U.S.C. § 1956(h)- MONEY LAUNDERING CONSPIRACY
(5)

Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to 27 months in prison, followed by two yeas of supervised release. Hew was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $94,630.

03/09/2023 165 Electronic Clerk's Notes for proceedings held before Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV: Sentencing held on 3/9/2023 for Gustaf Njei (1), Count(s) 1-5. Case called; Parties made aware of the materials/submissions being relied upon by the Court for purposes of the hearing; applicable sentence-guideline range calculated; sentence recommendations heard. Defendant addressed court; Defendant sentenced to 27 months imprisonment to run concurrently on each count, 2 years supervised release to run concurrently on each count, $500 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $94,630.91. Defendant to self report to the BOP designated on 4/20/23. (Attorneys present: William B. Brady and Benjamin Saltzman for the government. Peter C. Horstmann for the defendant.)Court Reporter Name and Contact or digital recording information: Valerie OHara at vaohara@gmail.com. (McKillop, Matthew) (Entered: 03/10/2023)
03/09/2023 166 Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 163 Motion for Forfeiture of Property as to Gustaf Njei (1) (McKillop, Matthew) (Entered: 03/10/2023)
03/09/2023 167 Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV: ORDER OF FORFEITURE (MONEY JUDGMENT) as to Gustaf Njei. (McKillop, Matthew) (Entered: 03/10/2023

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