Nigerian Sentenced to Over Three Years in U.S. Prison for $1 Million Tax Fraud Scheme

Onomen Uduebor, a 39-year-old Nigerian national also known as Onomen Onohi, has been sentenced to 40 months in a U.S. federal prison for his role in a sophisticated tax fraud scheme that sought over $1 million in illegal refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that Uduebor was arrested in the United Kingdom in September 2023 and extradited to the United States in March 2025. He pleaded guilty in April to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The court heard that Uduebor and his co-conspirators orchestrated a phishing scheme between February 2016 and April 2017. They impersonated company executives through fraudulent emails and tricked HR departments into releasing W-2 tax documents. Using the stolen data, the group filed more than 300 false tax returns. Uduebor personally submitted at least 150 of those and tracked the fraudulent refunds deposited into bank accounts opened under stolen identities

Though the IRS managed to block most of the fraudulent claims, approximately $140,000 was paid out. Uduebor admitted to receiving $10,000 from the operation. He was ordered to forfeit those proceeds and pay $122,720 in restitution to the U.S. Treasury.

During sentencing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart described Uduebor’s involvement as "significant" and noted that at 30 years old during the time of the crime, he “ought to have known better.”

In a statement of remorse, Uduebor told the court, “I have read the victim impact statements, and I know an apology is not enough. I was desperate to succeed in my music career. It is not an excuse, but it is the truth.”

Upon completion of his prison sentence, Uduebor is expected to be deported to Nigeria.