Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu and Harafat Mogaji, two Nigerian residents of Delaware and members of the US Air Force, have been sentenced to a combined 189 months in federal prison for their involvement in an international cyber fraud scheme. The scheme targeted businesses and caused losses of more than $2.4 million. The defendants were sentenced on September 25, 2026, following their convictions in the United States.
According to the US Attorney's Office, Odimegwu and Mogaji worked with other conspirators in the US and abroad to target businesses over a period of nearly two years. The group allegedly used mass email campaigns and phishing attacks to obtain employees' usernames and passwords, which were then used to facilitate fraudulent wire transfers.
The conspirators also allegedly created email addresses designed to resemble those of businesses and their legitimate partners. The spoofed accounts were used to deceive victims into sending genuine payments to bank accounts controlled by the fraud network. This resulted in the diversion of more than $1.68 million that a victim in Iowa City had transferred to an account in Chicago controlled by the conspiracy.
Odimegwu and Mogaji were also linked to the diversion of more than $720,000 sent by an Ohio victim to an account controlled by the group. The investigation found that the defendants allegedly collected sensitive financial information during their phishing and spamming activities, including bank account numbers, personal identification numbers, and credit and debit card details.
The stolen data included credit card information belonging to a non-profit organisation in Pella, Iowa. Odimegwu and Mogaji also allegedly obtained stolen financial information from other members of the conspiracy, exchanged the data among themselves, and attempted to use it for unauthorised transactions and purchases.
Odimegwu was sentenced to 111 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $366,617.59 in restitution. Mogaji received a 78-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay $995,680.45 in restitution. Authorities took both men into custody after sentencing, and following their release from prison, they will each serve three years under supervised release.
The US Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, David Waterman, announced the sentences in a statement issued through the district's Public Information Officer, MacKenzie Tubbs. The sentences mark a significant milestone in the fight against cybercrime, and serve as a warning to those who engage in such activities.
Key points
- Two Nigerians were sentenced to 189 months in US prison for their involvement in a cyber fraud scheme that caused losses of more than $2.4 million.
- The defendants, Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu and Harafat Mogaji, were members of the US Air Force and residents of Delaware when the offences were committed.
- The conspirators used mass email campaigns, phishing attacks, and spoofed email accounts to deceive victims into sending payments to bank accounts controlled by the fraud network.
