Nigerian-Born Ex-Professor Jailed 78 Months Over $1.3m US Student Aid Fraud

Nigerian-Born Ex-Professor Jailed 78 Months Over $1.3m US Student Aid Fraud

A Nigerian-born former university professor, Emmanuel Olugbaike Finnih, has been sentenced to 78 months in a United States federal prison for orchestrating a five-year scheme involving student financial aid fraud and identity theft.

Finnih, 43, a naturalised U.S. citizen from Nigeria living in Richmond, Texas, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term.

The former adjunct professor at Texas Southern University pleaded guilty to charges including theft of government funds, fraud, unlawful use or transfer of identity documents and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen imposed the sentence.

Finnih operated the scheme for approximately five years and submitted more than 100 fraudulent financial aid applications using the identities of people presented as students at colleges and universities across Texas.

The fraudulent applications sought more than $1.3 million in federal grants and student loans, of which $921,189.08 was actually disbursed.

Finnih used the personal information of other people to prepare, submit and sign financial aid applications and master promissory notes in their names.

He also allegedly controlled mailing addresses, telephone numbers and email accounts used in the applications, enabling him to receive communications from the U.S. Department of Education and the schools involved.

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The financial aid refunds were subsequently obtained through electronic transfers, cheques and prepaid debit cards sent to addresses or bank accounts controlled by Finnih.

The scheme had consequences for people whose identities were used. Some victims were left with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt that had been fraudulently placed in their names, affecting their credit and making it more difficult for them to enrol in legitimate educational programmes.

As part of his guilty plea, Finnih admitted repeatedly using the personal identifying information of two victims over several years to fraudulently obtain federal financial aid.

Authorities also discovered that he possessed false identity documents, including temporary driving permits and identification cards, which prosecutors said were intended for unlawful use or transfer as part of the scheme.

The court further heard that Finnih sometimes altered the names of female “straw students” to make them appear male while retaining their correct Social Security numbers and dates of birth. Prosecutors said this enabled him to pose as the individuals whose identities were being used.

In one instance, Finnih contacted a community college and attempted to have financial aid payments unfrozen after the institution detected fraudulent transcripts connected to one of the supposed students.

The investigation involved the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General, alongside the Lone Star College Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Finnih will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. He was allowed to remain on bond and is expected to voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to begin his sentence.

The case began with an investigation into fraudulent student aid and later revealed a broader scheme involving more than 100 fraudulent applications and more than $1.3 million in requested financial aid.

The sentencing concludes the federal criminal proceedings against Finnih over the student aid fraud scheme and highlights the financial and credit consequences that identity theft can have on victims.

Nigerian-Born Ex-Professor Jailed 78 Months Over $1.3m US Student Aid Fraud