Two Nigerians Sentenced to 15 Years in U.S. for $2.4 Million Fraud Scheme

Two Nigerians living in the United States, Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu and Harafat Mogaji, have been sentenced to a total of 189 months in prison for their involvement in a fraud scheme that stole over $2.4 million from businesses. The sentencing took place on September 25, 2026, as announced by David Waterman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa.

Odimegwu and Mogaji, who were both members of the U.S. Air Force, participated in a cyber-intrusion operation that lasted nearly two years. They targeted various businesses across the country using email spamming and phishing tactics to steal login information from employees. This stolen information was then used to carry out fraudulent transactions.

The two men were part of a group that successfully redirected more than $1.68 million from a victim in Iowa City to a bank account in Chicago. They also diverted over $720,000 from a victim in Ohio. These actions were just part of their broader scheme to trick businesses into sending money to accounts controlled by the fraud ring.

In addition to stealing money, Odimegwu and Mogaji were accused of gathering sensitive financial information during their scams. This included credit card numbers and personal identification numbers. They even bought stolen financial data from others involved in the scheme.

Odimegwu received a sentence of 111 months in prison and is required to pay over $366,000 in restitution. Mogaji was sentenced to 78 months and must pay nearly $996,000 back to the victims. After serving their time, both men will be under supervised release for three years.