Joliet Cops & U.S. Secret Service Take Down Nigerian Scammer: Police

A Nigerian man living in Crest Hill ran an auto sale scheme and bilked his unwitting victims out of more than $10,000, officials said.

Valentine Odije, 25, of 1805 Arbor Lane was taken into custody at his home by Joliet police.

Odije was booked into the Will County jail on charges of wire fraud and theft. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bond.

Odije preyed on the buyers and sellers of motor vehicles on Craigslist, said Joliet police Lt. Brian DuPuis.

Odije convinced car sellers to send him money to cover shipping costs, Dupuis said. In one of his schemes, Odije adopted the persona of an oceanographer from New Zealand, he said.

The U.S. Secret Service worked with the Joliet police on the case. The Illinois Attorney General's Office will prosecute Odije.

Odije had his marks wire him funds through MoneyGrams at Walmarts and used the aliases "Steven Johnson" and "Jordan Johnson," said Attorney General spokeswoman Maura Possley.

Odije worked with an unidentified accomplice who remains at large, Possley said.

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