FARGO – United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced that Nicolas Mondani Oleko, age 32, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, appeared in federal court today in the District of North Dakota for an arraignment on an Indictment returned by a grand jury. The Indictment charges one count of Wire Fraud and one count of Bank Fraud and alleges that, while residing in the District of North Dakota, Oleko participated in, and aided and abetted, a business email compromise scheme that defrauded an auction business of $113,050. The charges and allegations contained in the charging documents are merely accusations. The Indictment in this case is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.The United States Attorney’s Office urges all public and private entities to exercise vigilance to prevent business email compromise fraud. Entities are encouraged to establish strict payment protocols for large transactions and verify changes to vendor bank and routing information with trusted sources outside the chain of email communication. On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Greenley.# # # # # #
Source: U.S. Department of Justice