Kazeem Owonla

A Nigerian man was taken into custody this morning by officials in Atlanta, Ga., in connection with a theft investigation by Kosciusko County officials.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department detectives stated officers from the Atlanta (Georgia) Police Department  took Kazeem Owonla, 44, Nigeria, into custody at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at approximately 5:30 a.m. today.

Owonla is a suspect involved in a theft incident originally investigated on June 28 by KCSD deputies. At that time, it was discovered a female from the Syracuse, area had wired a large amount of money through Western Union to Owonla. The suspect had reportedly used the alias name of “John Tony Hagan” during his contact over the Internet. Owonla had also obtained and used a non-authorized photo of Montana Attorney General Tim Fox as his profile picture during conversations with the Indiana victim.

Kosciusko County deputies began working with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Newark Police Department, N.J., to follow the banking account trail of Owonla. United States Custom and Border Protection agents contacted officers at Atlanta this morning while Owonla was in-flight from Nigeria, in preparation of his arrival back into the United States.

Owonla was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Clayton County Jail, Georgia, on preliminary charges of felony corrupt business influence and felony theft.

Kosciusko detectives were also able to establish during the investigation that Owonla had performed a similar criminal act with a female in Clarksville, Ohio, and potentially a third unidentified victim. Owonla is currently awaiting transportation back to Indiana where he will be held on a $150,000 bond.

The Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office advises that the defendant’s charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.