UPDATE: OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A player on Omaha’s pro soccer team has pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing him of using an online romance scam to swindle people out of more than $214,000.
Abdul Osumanu, 24, of Ghana, entered the pleas remotely Tuesday in a West Virginia federal court to two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and receipt of stolen money, the Omaha World-Herald reported.
Osumanu is a starting defender for the Union Omaha professional soccer team, but has not participated in practices or games since he was arrested May 27.
Investigators have said Osumanu and another man created a fake online profile in 2017, pretending to be a woman and convincing two people to send money.
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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A player on Omaha’s pro soccer team has been indicted on federal charges accusing him of defrauding people in internet romance scams.
Abdul Osumanu, 24, of Ghana, is charged with two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and receipt of stolen money in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, the Omaha World-Herald reported.
Osumanu is a starting defender for the Union Omaha professional soccer team, starting in the team’s first five matches until he was arrested May 27. Federal prosecutors said Osumanu and another man created a fake online profile in 2017, pretending to be a woman, and convinced two people to send them more than $200,000 in the years since.
Osumanu is one of nine men accused in West Virginia of participating in separate romance and other online scams that defrauded at least 200 people of more than $2.5 million, prosecutors said earlier this week.
Peter Marlette, the general manager for Union Omaha, said Osumanu has been removed from team activities, including practices and games, pending the outcome of his court proceedings. Osumanu has not been released from the team, Marlette said.
Osumanu’s public defender did not return a call Wednesday to the World-Herald.
After his freshman season, he transferred to NCAA Division I school, the Marshall Thundering Herd, a team 45 minutes away from Charleston, West Virginia in Huntington, West Virginia. During his three years at Marshall University, Osumanu played in 59 games and scored two goals. During his senior season, he was an instrumental piece in a historic Marshall side that won the 2019 Conference USA Men’s Soccer Tournament and made it to NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament for the first time.