SVPD arrest man on 58 count federal indictment | Crime

After a ten month investigation, Sierra Vista Police have made an arrest on a 58 count federal indictment. 

The investigation began after a February, 2012 phone call to SVPD from Cochise College officials.  According to the college officials they discovered a flash drive that had apparently been left in a school computer.  These same officials became suspicious when they tried to identify the owner of the flash drive and discovered the names and personal information on nearly 900 people.  Officials then contacted the SVPD. 

According to SVPD a search warrant was obtained by Detective Colin Festa, a member of the SVPD Property Crimes Unit, for the flash drive.  This search warrant helped uncover numerous files that contained stolen identities and financial information, many of which was from out of Arizona locations.  Festa then had to call in assistance from the IRS and the Secret Service.  According to Festa they had a suspect, identified as Osabuohien Odyssey Oronsaye, a 34-year-old from Nigeria.  Oronsaye allegedly purchased the names and information online, and was using it to file false tax returns, according to Festa.  Oronsaye then had the refund money placed on prepaid debit cards.

Most of the names and information were purchased for $1.50 a name, and had been illegally obtained from internet phishing scams, according to SVPD officials.  SVPD officials recommend that residents do not answer emails or phone inquiries from credit card companies or banks, asking to verify account information, as this is generally how ‘phishing’ scams work.

Oronsaye has been arrested on 58 counts, according to SVPD and is currently being held in the federal prison in Tucson.  He faces the following charges – Wire Fraud, False Claims, Aggravated Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud.