The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, on Thursday commenced the trial of Wawe Eseoghene Nelson, also known as James Andrew Shmit and Philip Bradley, over an alleged $968,000 fraud.
Nelson, who was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 11, 2025, faces an 11-count charge bordering on advance fee fraud, impersonation, conspiracy, and obtaining money under false pretenses.
According to the EFCC statement on Saturday, Nelson allegedly defrauded two American victims, Kathleen Sharp and Holly Stamm, by posing as a U.S.-based petroleum engineer involved in major oil exploration projects.
During Thursday’s court proceedings before Justice Aliyu Halilu, the EFCC presented its first prosecution witness (PW1), Kathleen Sharp, who recounted how she was lured into sending money to Nelson.
Sharp told the court that Nelson approached her on social media, claiming to be an engineer working at BP Oil in the Gulf of Mexico. He allegedly persuaded her to send him funds under the pretense that he was facing financial difficulties due to a petroleum project and would repay her once it yielded returns.
“I was contacted by the EFCC, who informed me that I had been scammed by someone using the name James Andrew Shmit. He claimed to be an engineer at BP Oil and said he needed financial assistance because he couldn’t access his personal funds,” Sharp testified.
She further revealed that she sent him the sum of $183,000 in three installments: $45,500 through a wired certificate check, $131,000 via wired transfer, and $7,000 through another wired transfer.
“I have not been repaid any of my money,” she told the court.
However, one of the charges against Nelson states that in 2023, he fraudulently obtained $155,000 from Kathleen Sharp through a Chase Bank account registered to Pearl and Allison LLC. He allegedly misrepresented himself as a petroleum engineer, claiming the money was for an oil project.
The statement partly read: “Count one of his charge reads: “That you, Wawe Esoghene Nelson (a.k.a James Andrew Smith) sometime in 2023 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of One Hundred and Fifty-Five Thousand Dollars ($155,000) from one Kathleen Sharp, living in the United States of America with Telephone Number +13025983826 through Chase Bank with account name Pearl and Allison Llc, account number 952177670, Routing 021000021, account address 35 Knollwood Dr Aptos CA 95003 with bank address at 1990 41st Avenue, Capitola, CA 95010 under the false pretence that you are James Andrew Smith, a Petroleum Engineer from United States of America that is into engineering project, relating to petroleum project which pretence you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Additional, another count accuses Nelson of defrauding Holly Stamm of $120,000 in 2022 through Bitcoin transactions, using a similar ruse.
According to the prosecution, Nelson knowingly made false claims to obtain money, violating Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act, 2006.
Nelson, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges when they were read to him in court.
Following Sharp’s testimony, the prosecution, led by Maryam Aminu Ahmed, is expected to present more witnesses and evidence against Nelson. The trial is set to continue as the EFCC seeks to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Halilu adjourned the hearing to a later date for further proceedings.
