Five Nigerians Sentenced to Nearly 160 Years for Orchestrating $17m Global Fraud Scheme

A United States federal court has handed down a combined sentence of over 159 years to five Nigerians involved in a massive international fraud operation that defrauded more than 100 individuals, companies, and government agencies of approximately $17 million.

The judgment, delivered in the Eastern District of Texas, followed years of investigations into the group’s coordinated online scams, which included romance fraud, business email compromise, and financial impersonation targeting mostly elderly and vulnerable individuals across the globe.

Authorities said the group operated as part of a transnational criminal syndicate that laundered illicit funds through a network of accounts and shell entities, with money eventually funneled to associates in Africa and Asia.

According to court documents, the operation began in 2017. The convicted individuals used deceptive tactics to manipulate victims into transferring large sums of money, in some cases wiping out life savings. U.S. prosecutors emphasized that once the funds were secured, the conspirators swiftly moved the money through layers of bank accounts to obscure its origins.

Federal law enforcement described the case as a striking example of international fraud’s human toll, particularly on elderly victims. The scheme reportedly spanned multiple jurisdictions and involved sophisticated laundering techniques to mask proceeds.

Each individual received lengthy prison terms following their convictions for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Three of them were found guilty after trial, while two entered guilty pleas.

Sentences included:

• One defendant received 109 months in prison.

• Another was sentenced to 365 months.

• The remaining three each received 480 months (40 years) behind bars.

Officials noted that these sentences reflect the scale of financial damage inflicted and serve as a warning to other transnational crime rings targeting American citizens.

The U.S. Department of Justice stressed its ongoing commitment to dismantling global cyber-enabled fraud networks and holding perpetrators accountable, regardless of nationality or location.