Nigerian convicted of online crimes in Texas

Prosecutors say a Nigerian man living in Texas must serve three years in prison after being convicted of a $1.3m Internet scam. Wiseman Oputa had pleaded guilty to wire fraud in April. Investigators say he used counterfeit passports to open bank accounts in the Houston area. A report on the LA Times site notes that the passports had his photo but different names and identification. Prosecutors say he then lured online victims into sending money to those accounts. The scams ranged from bogus business deals and romance offers to false reports of money won and taxes needing to be paid to acquire the winnings.