Newspaper delivery man arrested for ID theft, fraud

WOBURN, Mass. (WHDH) -- Police said they tracked down a man who allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from customers on his newspaper route.

Prosecutors said Nigerian national Ikponmwosa Ogiugo, 20, stole $225,000 for his customers. Police arrested Ogiugo Tuesday morning.

“There has been a really complicated scheme that Mr. Ogiugo employed to have that cash sent to an account in India that we know of right now,” said a lawyer.

The complicated investigation led authorities to evidence across state lines and out of the country. Police filed 16 complaints against Ogiugo for check fraud and identity theft. The investigation involved local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Investigators said Ogiugo, who is a United States citizen, received tips from people on his newspaper route in Reading. They said he would use a printer at home to make duplicate checks and have unsuspecting people from out of state cash the checks. Those people would then wire the money to India.

A search warrant was conducted at Ogiugo’s home Tuesday morning. Electronic evidence including computers, hard drives and printers were seized, along with numerous volumes of documents, money and cell phones.

Detectives said Ogiugo started this process in August 2012.

Ogiugo was arraigned in Woburn district court on Tuesday on multiple identify theft and fraud charges. He was granted a $5,000 cash bond and placed on house arrest.

Anyone with information related to these offenses are asked to call the Woburn police detectives at 781-933-1212.