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Dallas romance scammer who conned lonely widows and divorcees sent to prison

They preyed on elderly divorcees and widows.

NYCRPD.org

A Dallas romance scammer who posted singles ads, then robbed his victims, is now where he belongs: in prison.

According to a release from the Department of Justice, Frederick Orji,, a 38-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen born in Nigeria, was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison, for preying on elderly divorcees and widows.

Orji, who had ties to a Nigerian organized crime syndicate, was charged alongside several co-conspirators in a large-scale operation led by the FBI in in September 2021.

He pleaded guilty in June 2022 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and was sentenced on December 19 to 37 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Godbey, who also ordered him to pay $418,030 in restitution to his victims.

According to court documents, Orji and his co-defendants assumed fake names and trolled dating sites like Match.com and Bumbledate.com, searching for targets.

Once they had ingratiated themselves with their victims, they made up sob stories about why they needed money — i.e., taxes to release an inheritance, essential overseas travel, crippling debt, etc. — then siphoned money from their victims’ accounts, tens of thousands of dollars at a time.

Orji admitted in plea papers that, once he and his conspirators had fleeced their victims of all they had, often their entire life's savings, they'd vanish into thin air.

His brother and co-defendant Emanuel Orji, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in September 2022 and is set to be sentenced on January 9, 2023. Five additional defendants — David Animashaun, Oluwalobamise Michael Moses, Irabor Fatarr Musa, Ijeoma Okoro, and Chukwemeka Orji — are awaiting trial, set for March 20, 2023.

The FBI estimates that more than 20,000 people lost more than $600 million in romance scams in 2020 alone, and the Federal Trade Commission has an entire romance scam webpage, with tips on how to protect yourself and your loved ones.

The investigation was a team project led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, and IRS – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Walters and Jenna Rudoff are prosecuting the case.

RIP Pete

Dallas businessman and former Schepps Dairy owner Pete Schenkel dies

Courtesy photo

Pete Schenkel

Dallas businessman Pete Schenkel, a philanthropist and former owner of Dallas-based Schepps Dairy, passed away at his Highland Park home on November 27 while in hospice care.

Born and raised in South Dallas where he worked on his father's dairy farm, Schenkel worked his way up from a Schepps Dairy deliverer to become an owner of the company in 1987. He went on to serve as President and owner of Southern Foods, which later sold to Suiza Foods and became Dean Foods, for which he also served as president and board member.

A statement from the city of Dallas says that Schenkel "leaves a legacy where he will be remembered for sharing his success with others and for his steadfast commitment to serve with pride and humility. Pete was unwavering in his dedication to making Dallas one of the safest large cities in the United States and was instrumental in promoting our economic growth and social vibrancy. We will strive to carry on his legacy by continuing to make Dallas a better place for all."

Founded by Harmon "Hymie" Schepps in 1942, Schepps Dairy traded hands and emerged from a bankruptcy under the primary ownership of Schenkel, who was Schepps' business partner. In 2000, the company was acquired by Suiza Foods Co., which then merged with Dallas-based Dean Foods the following year.

Schenkel was also involved in Dallas politics from the '80s to the '00s, both with sought-after endorsements as well as working on campaigns for mayoral candidates such as Jack Evans and Ron Natinsky.

In 2017, he was honored with an award from the NFF Gridiron Club for his role in helping bring football back to the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day. He fought to keep the annual Texas-Oklahoma rivalry game at Cotton Bowl Stadium and has been the key negotiator in keeping the game there ever since.

Schenkel served on many influential boards that helped shape Dallas and North Texas, including chairing the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Board of Directors and the Methodist Health Care Foundation. After retiringm he remained active in nonprofit circles, helping direct a charitable fund with his wife, the Pat and Pete Schenkel Charitable Trust. He also served on the board of the Dallas Blue Foundation, which provides financial assistance to families of Dallas police officers killed or wounded in action.

His multiple awards and commendations including receiving the 82nd annual Linz Award for civic service in Dallas in 2011, as well as a Russell H. Perry Award from Dallas Baptist University, which lauded Schenkel for adhering to the highest ethical standards and being loyal to and respectful of friends and customers, as well as his modesty, shying away from the spotlight and shining it on others instead.

He's survived by his wife Pat, three children and seven grandchildren.

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