Nigerian used fake passports to launder romance fraud money

Federal officials say a Maryland man used fake passports to facilitate a money laundering conspiracy involving nearly $1 million.

Arinze Michael Ozor, 36, pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges of forgery or false use of a passport, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland said in a release Monday. He's a dual citizen of the U.S. and Nigeria.

Ozor used at least two passports to open eight so-called “drop accounts", prosecutors said. He took more than $976,000 from business email compromise schemes and romance fraud schemes and put it in those accounts.

Officials say Ozor used a Ghanaian passport to open five bank accounts and a Beninese passport to open three additional accounts. The money was then largely sent to other entities involved in the schemes.

Ozor is expected to be sentenced in May. He could spend up to 10 years in prison.

An attorney representing Ozor didn't immediately return a call seeking comment,