Criminal Minds

They had been in America for 10 years

They had a stable life

Husband was a gas station attendant

Wife, a cashier in a grocery store

They made good income

With three children in school

Rent, bills and grocery

They live from paycheck to paycheck

Wife's Father died in their country

She was the first child

Living in America

Family members called and called

You have been away for so long

We didn't bother you for a penny when he was sick

But he is gone now

He deserves to be honored

He shouldn't be buried like a man without successful children

Pressure!

Her husband especially must perform

As the In-law

He was representing his entire family

He couldn't afford to mess up

Church gave them $500 as support

Friends and colleagues gave $250

They needed to buy return tickets for 5 people

They would pay for funeral, buy coffin, and take uniform

They must provide food, drinks, and gifts for relatives

They could barely scrounge up $2000 dollars

Husband raised another $2000 loan from friends

They bought the tickets

Sent home some money

He had an Idea

They took their credit cards

Went on a shopping spree

Maxed them out!

They shipped everything to their country

'We will sell the products at home to raise cash'' they reasoned

We will come back and pay our credit card debt

They arrived, cleared the goods, made money

The party was a success

They were celebrated

America's streets were laced with $$$

Party over, they sat down

Heart to heart

To the tune of how much were they in debt?

WHOA!

That will take almost five years of hard labour to pay back

They told the children

We will put you in schools here

It is cheaper for us to live in a smaller apartment over there

They did

They returned to America

But not to the same state

Started a new life

Got credit cards

Increased their credit card limits

Went on shopping sprees at the end of the year

Ship goods home

Came to Nigeria

Cleared and sold the goods,

Bought properties

Live in opulence

Always they were careful

Never taking credit cards from the same company

Never making friends or calling attention to themselves

Joined local religious groups for affirmation and credibility

Paid their taxes and credit card charges on time

Carry out their scam

And relocate!

They started a business

Stocked warehouses in their country with goods

Bought houses in highbrow areas

Rubbed shoulders with the high and mighty

They became an example of the fulfillment of the American dream at home

Family, friends and the community reckoned with them

It lasted for 14 years

Their first child was graduating from the university

Wife traveled home to attend

The FBI had been investigating them for years

FBI arrested the husband

As she was checking in her bags at the airport

A friend called

Your husband had been arrested

She ran!

He was sentenced to 39 years in prison

3 years for each fraud in 13 states to be served concurrently

The same sentence likely awaits the wife

If she was ever to set her foot in America again

In 2012, she got sick, diagnosed of cancer

She was treated at home, taken to India

Nothing worked

Doctors recommended CTCA Metro Atlanta

Clinical trials were ongoing there

It could save her life

She was in pain, dying

She agreed

They flew her to Atlanta

She had the treatment

She woke up handcuffed to the bed

She was cured

Now serving her 39 years

 

The End