A Missouri City man's lavish $1.5 million spending spree has put him on a direct path to federal prison for 162 months following his conviction on charges of wire fraud and identity theft, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday. Emmanuel Babajide Awolaja, 34, was sentenced after previously pleading guilty to using stolen credit card information for extravagant purchases.
According to official court documents, Awolaja's criminal spree involved expensive jewelry, hotel stays, and fine dining funded by illicit means that Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. noted at the hearing he had a history of felony offenses dating back two decades, and with this being his 13th felony offense, the judge imposed a harsh sentence to safeguard the public from his habitual criminal behavior.
Awolaja, along with accomplice Tia Nicole Chavis, manipulated merchants by convincing them to manually enter credit card numbers after initial rejections, a maneuver that resulted in the theft of more than $1.5 million from local businesses. His partner, Chavis, 32, from Houston, also pleaded guilty to the scheme and is currently awaiting sentencing set for April 12.
The case cracked open when the fraudulent duo attempted to buy a $14,000 watch at Tomball Pawn and Jewelry, and subsequent investigations with a nationwide reach revealed the Secret Service working closely with multiple merchants to track down the purchases, as they uncovered video evidence linking Chavis and Awolaja to the criminal activities, both suspects have been in custody and will remain so pending further proceedings.
