Kenyan Man Detained for Using Dead Friend's Phone to Extort His Family in the US

A Nairobi court has detained a man who used his deceased friend’s phone to extort his family in the United States for 21 days to allow police to complete investigations into his death.

Stephen Karanja, who was arrested on January 13th by Kasarani police officers for impersonating Victor Wangai, has now been linked to his death as the prime suspect.

The suspect is accused of impersonating the late Wangai and using his mobile phone number to extort money from his friends and family, including his mother Jane Nduta who resides in the US.

The deceased's family filed a missing person report at a Kahawa West police station on January 4th, according to court documents. On January 10th, they found his body at Kenyatta National Hospital Mortuary labeled as an unknown African male.

Reports indicate that the deceased was admitted to KNH on December 1st, 2022, as a referral from St Francis Community Hospital. He died on December 9th while undergoing treatment at the facility.

Detectives handling the case are looking for clues such as the deceased's phone, which police believe is in the possession of the main suspect.

Officers will also communicate with hospitals where the deceased is said to have sought medical attention in order to determine the cause of death.