Two Kenyans Charged with Defrauding American Woman Sh12 Million in Fake Gold Scam

Two Kenyans have been charged with defrauding an American woman of over Sh12 million in a fake gold scam.

Appearing before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu, Seth Steve Okute and Bruno Otieno Oliende were charged with obtaining $100,000 (Sh12,613,000) from Marjorie Grant in March 2022 by pretending that they were in position to pay customs duties for 33 kilograms of gold shipped from Burkina Faso. 

Okute and Otieno pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released on bail of Sh100,000 each. 

The court heard that the two were arrested following a report made by Grant, an American investor living in Los Angeles, California. 

Okute was the first to be arrested before detectives headed to Otieno’s home in Kitusuru. Okute was found in possession of a Baretta pistol loaded with 13 rounds.

Detectives also found heavy metallic boxes suspected to be used to store crucial information that is currently assisting the officers in investigations.

Okute contested the Karachuonyo parliamentary seat on an ODM ticket, while Oliende vied for the Suna East parliamentary seat as an independent candidate.

The two are among eight suspects arrested this month for defrauding two American citizens $534,000 (Sh66,696,600) in a fake gold deal.

They were apprehended in separate raids at Nairobi’s upmarket Kitusuru and Kilimani areas.