Two Nigerian defendants jailed in US cyber-fraud case

Two Nigerians living in the United States have been sentenced to a combined 189 months in federal prison for their roles in an international cyber-intrusion scheme that defrauded businesses of more than $2.4m. The defendants, Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu and Harafat Mogaji, were sentenced on September 25, 2026, after being convicted, according to a statement from MacKenzie Tubbs, public information officer for the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Iowa. Tubbs said the defendants, who lived in Delaware and were members of the US Air Force, worked with co-conspirators in the United States and other countries.

The scheme operated for nearly two years and used email-spamming and phishing campaigns to obtain employee usernames and passwords. Prosecutors said the stolen credentials were used alongside spoofed email addresses resembling those of victims or their business partners. The defendants and their associates allegedly used the false communications to redirect payments into accounts controlled by the conspiracy.

More than $1.68m sent by a victim in Iowa City was allegedly diverted to a Chicago bank account controlled by the group. A further $720,000 sent by a victim in Ohio was also diverted, Tubbs said. The scheme involved other attempts to redirect business wire transfers.

The defendants were also accused of collecting financial account numbers, personal identification numbers and credit and debit card details. Prosecutors said they exchanged or bought stolen information and attempted unauthorised transactions. Odimegwu was sentenced to 111 months and ordered to pay $366,617.59 in restitution.

Mogaji received 78 months and was ordered to pay $995,680.45. Both were taken into custody after sentencing and will each serve three years of supervised release.