Two Nigerians Jailed 15 Years for $2.4m US Cyber Fraud
Two Nigerians have been sentenced to 189 months in US prison over a cyber fraud scheme that defrauded victims of more than $2.4 million.
Two Nigerian nationals living in the United States have been sentenced to a combined 189 months in federal prison after being convicted in a cyber fraud scheme that defrauded victims of more than $2.4 million
Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu, 25, was sentenced to 111 months in prison, while Harafat Mogaji, 26, received 78 months. Both of them were Delaware residents and members of the U.S. Air Force when they participated in the scheme, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Prosecutors revealed that the scheme involved phishing emails designed to steal employee login credentials. The stolen information was then used to access email accounts and impersonate businesses or their partners in order to redirect legitimate payments into accounts controlled by the conspirators.
Odimegwu was ordered by the court to serve 111 months and pay $366,617.59 in restitution, while Mogaji received 78 months and was ordered to pay $995,680.45. Both of them will also serve three years of supervised release after their prison terms.
The sentences bring their combined prison term to 189 months, or 15 years and nine months. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
