U.S. Court Denies Bail as Deportation Process Continues for Nigerian Money Laundering Convict

A federal court in Minnesota has refused to grant bail to Nigerian national Ijeoma Mbonu Chanthavong, who is currently facing deportation following a conviction for international money laundering.

Mbonu, who entered the United States in 2017 on a visitor visa, was arrested in December 2025 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She was previously convicted in 2022 after admitting to using her U.S. bank account to receive and transfer proceeds from online fraud schemes linked to Nigerian fraud networks.

Court documents show that Mbonu acted as a key intermediary for fraud operators, receiving funds from victims and moving the money to accounts in Nigeria. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit international money laundering and later agreed to cooperate with federal investigators, a deal that temporarily allowed her to remain in the country.

After her cooperation, Mbonu applied for work authorization, which was approved in mid-2024. However, ICE later detained her after concluding that her conviction rendered her deportable under U.S. immigration law.

Mbonu subsequently filed an asylum claim while in custody and also sought legal relief through a habeas corpus petition, arguing that her detention and planned deportation were unlawful. She claimed Nigeria would not accept her return and asserted that her life could be at risk if she returned to the country due to threats from the fraud network she helped expose.

In response, federal officials maintained that her 2022 conviction constituted an aggravated felony, which bars her from bond eligibility and makes her subject to mandatory detention. The government also noted that her plea agreement clearly stated the immigration consequences of her guilty plea.

On January 13, the U.S. District Court ruled against Mbonu, stating that her conviction meets the criteria for an aggravated felony and that she is therefore deportable. The court denied her request for bail and dismissed her habeas petition.

Mbonu remains in ICE custody pending completion of the deportation process. The decision marks a significant setback for her efforts to remain in the U.S. despite her prior cooperation with federal investigators.