A 39-year-old Nigerian, Okechukwu Valentine Osuji, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Thursday in New Haven, Connecticut, for his role in a large-scale business email compromise (BEC) scheme. The scheme targeted numerous businesses and individuals, defrauding them of millions of dollars.

Operating across multiple countries, including the United States, Osuji and his accomplices posed as trusted entities in email communications to deceive victims into transferring funds. The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that the fraud targeted sectors such as finance, non-profit arts organizations, and food services.

The conspirators utilized "money mules," both knowingly and unknowingly, to receive and transfer stolen funds. These funds were then funneled into accounts under their control. Victims of the scheme included businesses in Connecticut, Colorado, Alaska, New York, and other states, suffering significant financial losses.

The fraud also exploited elderly individuals through romance scams, using them as unwitting money mules. In one instance, a woman testified that she was tricked into sending her life savings, including Social Security payments, to someone she believed to be a romantic partner. The scam left her bankrupt, cost her home, and turned her bank account into a tool for further fraud.

Osuji was arrested in Malaysia and extradited to the United States in 2022. On May 1, 2024, a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The total losses and intended losses from the scheme exceeded $6 million. At his sentencing, Osuji was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims.

The case is ongoing, with one alleged co-conspirator, John Wamuigah, still in Malaysia awaiting extradition. Another accomplice, Tolulope Bodunde, also a Nigerian citizen, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison in October 2024.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut, and FBI Special Agent Robert Fuller led the announcement. The FBI’s New Haven Field Office and Stamford Police Department conducted the investigation, with assistance from international agencies, including the Royal Malaysia Police and Malaysian Attorney General’s Chambers.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Lydia Lichlyter of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel for the District of Connecticut.