Two brothers, Teddy Hart and Rooney Hart, alongside 10 others, have been convicted and sentenced by Justice M. Itsueli of the Edo State High Court in Benin City for involvement in fraud-related offences.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a statement posted on X, listed the other convicts as Thompson Ogbeide, Iria Blessed, Igbinomwania Godspower, Ojiezele Felix, Akhigbe Gideon, Osazuwa Oghomwen, Agbonifo Iziegbe, Lucky Osagie, Osemwegie Michael, and Victor Ojeisemi.

The EFCC’s Benin Zonal Directorate prosecuted them on separate one-count charges bordering on advance fee fraud, obtaining by false pretence, possession of fraudulent documents, and retention of proceeds of crime.

One of the charges against Teddy Hart read: “That you, Teddy Ovbokhan Hart (m), on or about August 15, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did have in your possession, on your iPhone 12 with IMEI Number 359879850558150, documents which you knew or ought to have known contained false pretence, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

All the defendants pleaded guilty. Following their plea, prosecution counsel I. M. Elodi, K.Y. Bello, I. K. Agwai, Ibrahim Faisal, M. S. Dahiru, and Ibrahim Al-Amin urged the court to convict them accordingly.

The defence, however, appealed for leniency, stating that the convicts were remorseful.

Justice Itsueli then sentenced Felix, Iziegbe, and Osagie to two years imprisonment each or a fine of N300,000.
Ogbeide, Blessed, Godspower, Gideon, Michael, and Oghomwen received two years each or a fine of N200,000.
Teddy and Rooney Hart were handed two years imprisonment each or a fine of N350,000.
Ojeisemi was sentenced to two years imprisonment or a fine of N150,000.

In addition, all convicts forfeited their phones, laptops, and funds traced to their bank accounts—being proceeds of crime—to the Federal Government. They also signed undertakings to maintain good conduct henceforth.

According to the EFCC, their conviction followed credible intelligence that exposed their fraudulent internet activities, leading to their arrest by operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate.