Nigerian Convicted in US Over $7.5m Cyber Fraud Targeting Charities

Nigerian Convicted in US Over $7.5m Cyber Fraud Targeting Charities

A United States federal court has convicted a Nigerian national, Olusegu Adejorin, for defrauding two charitable organisations of more than $7.5 million, an offence that could see him sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

Adejorin, 32, was found guilty after a six-day trial at a Maryland federal court, according to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

He was convicted on multiple counts, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorised access to a protected computer.

The DOJ disclosed that Adejorin was extradited from Ghana in connection with the case, which involved cyber-enabled fraud targeting charities based in Maryland and New York between June and August 2020.

Investigators revealed that Adejorin gained access to employee email accounts, impersonated staff members, and manipulated internal financial procedures to divert funds away from the organisations.

According to the DOJ, Adejorin created spoofed domain names to pose as employees of one charity while requesting withdrawals from the other. He also compromised email systems to falsely authenticate the transactions, resulting in the transfer of over $7.5 million into accounts unconnected to the charities.

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“After a six-day trial, a federal jury convicted Olusegun Samson Adejorin, 32, a Nigerian national, of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access to a protected computer,” the Justice Department stated.

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, alongside FBI Baltimore Field Office Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for its investigation, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and Darren S. Gardner, who prosecuted the case.

The DOJ said Adejorin faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for each of the five counts of wire fraud, up to five years for unauthorised access to a protected computer, and a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft, to run consecutively.

U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2026.

The department noted that while the law prescribes maximum penalties, actual sentences are determined using the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory considerations.

The prosecution was conducted under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at strengthening immigration enforcement and combating organised and violent crime.

Nigerian Convicted in US Over $7.5m Cyber Fraud Targeting Charities