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Credit: Shannon Finney/Bravo
Are Wendy Osefo and Eddie Osefo in jeopardy of being deported back to their native Nigeria after being accused of fraud?
Weeks after the Real Housewives of Potomac couple was arrested on charges of fraud due to a supposedly staged robbery at their home in April 2024, and as Eddie, 41, hired a powerhouse attorney to represent him in the case, a couple of law enforcement insiders have spoken out.
“They have no ICE detainers against them as of now, and these days ICE is very proactive in beginning proceedings swiftly after an arrest,” a source who works closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told The U.S. Sun on October 23.
Wendy and Eddie are reportedly not on ICE’s radar at the moment. And, even if the organization does take notice of them and their case, they won’t be faced with any action until after their fraud case plays out.
“Generally, what happens is the individual goes to trial, they get a sentence – assuming they’re found guilty, they’re sent to serve their sentence, and then upon their serving their sentence, ICE picks them up,” the insider stated.
According to the report, Wendy, who arrived in the U.S. at 3, and Eddie, who came when he was older but still a minor, are believed to be naturalized citizens. After all, they voted in the 2024 election, and only citizens are able to vote.
Another insider, Judith Delus-Montgomery, a legal expert and practicing immigration attorney, said that under President Donald Trump’s administration, Wendy and Eddie could ultimately face deportation.
“This President and this administration have indicated that they are going to start denaturalizing citizens if they don’t like what they’re saying, if they don’t like their politics… if they can find a way to do it, they will do it,” she warned. “These people [Wendy and Eddie] who have been to the White House, they have pounded pavement for Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.”
“We see that [this administration] has the ability to go after whoever they want and to make a mountain out of a molehill,” she added.
While being accused of fraud wouldn’t lead to Wendy and Eddie being deported, previous citizenship petitions could be scrutinized if criminal activity has taken place, and they could potentially be deported.
In another report, shared by Us Weekly on October 24, it was confirmed that Eddie hired attorney Joseph Murtha, who previously worked on a case involving former President Bill Clinton, 79, and Monica Lewinsky, 52, who were involved in a sex scandal during his time in office in the 1990s.
In documents filed by the lawyer on Friday, Eddie asked for a list of witnesses and requested that all charges against him be thrown out, citing errors on the charging document. He also asked that any evidence collected during what he claimed was an illegal search be suppressed.
Like Wendy, he also wants a separate trial and claims that if he’s denied the request, it would “be clearly prejudicial to” his “right to due process, and a flagrant violation of [his] constitutional and other legal rights.”
Years ago, Joseph Murtha represented Linda Tripp, 70, who was accused of breaking the law by recording conversations with Monica, and ultimately, the charges against her were dropped. He also represented Baltimore police officer William Porter, who was charged with manslaughter in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died in police custody after being arrested for being in possession of a knife. And, like in Linda’s case, the charges against William were eventually dropped.
The Real Housewives of Potomac season 10 airs Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo.
