Nigerian man and his wife arrested for using stolen ID cards to buy gifts worth $100k and luxury cars

Police say a Scottsdale couple used fake names and stolen identifications to purchase luxury vehicles and over $100,000 in gift cards. 

Police say Ekene Sampson Akpuru, 30, who also goes by Patrick Beckham and his girlfriend 29-year-old Lauren Elizabeth Lees, used faked identifications and stolen social security cards to make multiple purchases. 

Police were tipped off when Akpuru, going by the name Beckham bought a ‘Slingshot’ from Indian Victory Motorcycle of Scottsdale. He used a Social Security card and a Minnesota driver’s license as identification to make the purchase. 

He used the same ID’s when buying a Mercedes in Scottsdale. Police tracked down the Social Security number to a child in Oklahoma. Police say Akpuru had multiple ID’s and made credit cards using fake ID’s. 

In addition to the Mercedes and Slingshot, he used the money to buy a condo in Scottsdale. He also allegedly used the credit cards to purchase thousands of dollars in gift cards and sent money to accounts in Nigeria. 

Akpuru was in the process of buying another Mercedes worth about $245,000 when police raided his home. On August 3, they served a searched warrant on his home near 66th Street and Thomas Road and the Mercedes being driven by girlfriend, Lees. 

Inside the home and car, they reportedly found numerous unused gift cards worth over $140,000. Akpuru is in the U.S on an expired Visa and fled from Georgia and Pennsylvania to Arizona to avoid two active warrants for his arrest. 

Akpuru is being held on a $500,000 cash bond and they are both being charged with fraudulent schemes and forgery.