back to top

Nigerian man bags seven-year jail term for fraud in US

A NIGERIAN man in the United States, Oludayo Adeagbo, has bagged seven years jail term for his involvement in a business email breach plot involving millions of dollars.

This was made known in a statement by the US Department of Justice from Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri.

Argentieri in the statement noted that Adeagbo attempted to steal over $3 million from victim entities in Texas by participating in various cyber-enabled BEC schemes.

Also, in the court documents obtained by the Department of Justice, this 45-year-old had targeted construction companies, local government agencies and a college in the Houston area.




     

     

    It further stated that Adeagbo, who was also in possession of a British passport, plotted with his partners to steal over $1.9 million from a university in North Carolina.

    In August 2022, he arrived US after being extradited from the United Kingdom (UK) to face criminal charges brought in Charlotte and Houston.

    He however signed a guilty plea on April 8 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud for his illegal actions in both cases.

    He also pleaded guilty after his case was moved from the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas to the US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Read Also:

    “Oludayo Adeagbo and his coconspirators perpetrated transnational cyber-enabled fraud schemes that targeted schools, government entities, and companies across the United States, and caused millions of dollars in losses,” the DOJ said.

    His Nigerian accomplice, 42-year-old Donald Echeazu, was initially deported to the US from the UK due to the same fraud, in which the University of North Carolina lost over $1.9 million through a BEC scheme.

    Echeazu was ordered to pay $655,408.87 in restitution for his part in the conspiracy and received a sentence of 18 months in prison, followed by a year of supervised release on May 16, 2023.

    Nigerians living abroad have received different jail sentences in recent years due to various crimes.

    The ICIR reported in August that four Nigerians were jailed for helping people live in the UK after being convicted of forging over 2,000 marriage certificates.

    The convicts, identified as Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54, were all sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in London.

    According to the UK home office, the four convicts were members of a criminal group involved in carrying out fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals.

    Between March 2019 and May 2023, they were caught with several criminal operations including, providing fake Nigerian customary marriage certificates among other fraudulent documentation to help people illegally remain in the UK.

    Read Also:

    Multimedia journalist covering Entertainment and Foreign news

    Join the ICIR WhatsApp channel for in-depth reports on the economy, politics and governance, and investigative reports.

    Support the ICIR

    We invite you to support us to continue the work we do.

    Your support will strengthen journalism in Nigeria and help sustain our democracy.

    If you or someone you know has a lead, tip or personal experience about this report, our WhatsApp line is open and confidential for a conversation

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here


    Support the ICIR

    We need your support to produce excellent journalism at all times.

    -Advertisement-

    Recent

    - Advertisement