Two Nigerians Jailed 15 Years Over $2.4m US Cyber Fraud

Two Nigerians Jailed 15 Years Over $2.4m US Cyber Fraud

Two Nigerians living in the United States, Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu and Harafat Mogaji, have been sentenced to a combined 189 months in federal prison for their roles in a $2.4 million cyber fraud scheme that targeted businesses and diverted legitimate payments.

Odimegwu, 25, was sentenced to 111 months, or nine years and three months, while Mogaji, 26, received 78 months, equivalent to six years and six months.

Both men were United States Air Force members stationed at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware when they participated in the fraud scheme with other conspirators.

The scheme involved phishing, email spamming and the theft of employees’ usernames and passwords. Prosecutors said the stolen credentials were then used to access victims’ email accounts and monitor legitimate business communications.

The conspirators allegedly used spoofed email addresses designed to resemble those of businesses or their legitimate partners to convince victims to redirect payments into bank accounts controlled by the group.

One of the largest incidents involved more than $1.68 million belonging to a victim in Iowa City. The money was diverted to a bank account in Chicago controlled by members of the conspiracy.

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Another major transaction involved $721,976 paid by the city of Athens, Ohio, in November 2024 for construction of a new fire station. The city believed the payment was being made to its contractor, Pepper Construction, but the fraudsters allegedly intercepted communications and used a fake email address resembling the contractor’s legitimate address to redirect the money.

Authorities were able to freeze part of the Athens payment after the fraud was discovered. The city subsequently recovered $205,000 through mediation and received another $200,000 through an insurance claim, recovering a total of $405,000.

The investigation also uncovered stolen financial information, including bank account details, personal identification numbers and credit and debit card information.

A non-profit organisation in Pella, Iowa, was among the victims whose financial information was compromised. Investigators said the stolen information was used in attempts to carry out unauthorised transactions and purchases.

Authorities said the wider conspiracy involved other participants in the United States and abroad and included several attempts to divert business payments.

Odimegwu was ordered to pay $366,617.59 in restitution, while Mogaji was ordered to pay $995,680.45.

Both defendants were taken into custody after sentencing and will each serve three years of supervised release after completing their prison terms.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The case demonstrates how business email compromise and phishing attacks can be used to manipulate legitimate financial transactions by exploiting trusted digital communications.

The combined sentences amount to more than 15 years in federal prison, while the restitution orders require the two men to repay more than $1.36 million.

Two Nigerians Jailed 15 Years Over $2.4m US Cyber Fraud