Two Nigerian Fraudsters Sentenced in U.S. for $5 Million Business Email Scam

Two Nigerian nationals, Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Okwonna and Ebuka Raphael Umeti, have been sentenced in the United States for their roles in a computer hacking and business email compromise (BEC) scheme that caused over $5 million in losses to American companies and other victims around the world.

On Tuesday, Okwonna, 34, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution. He had pled guilty on May 20 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. His co-defendant, Umeti, 35, received a harsher sentence of 10 years in prison on August 27, after being convicted by a federal jury in June of multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and intentional damage to a protected computer. Umeti was also ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution.

According to court documents and evidence presented at Umeti’s trial, the scheme took place between February 2016 and July 2021. During this period, Umeti, Okwonna, and their co-conspirators sent phishing emails to businesses in the United States and elsewhere. These emails appeared to be from trusted sources, such as banks or vendors, but contained malicious software, or “malware.” When victims opened the email attachments, their computers became infected with malware, allowing the fraudsters to gain unauthorized access to the victims’ computer systems and email accounts.

Once they had access, the conspirators obtained sensitive information, which they used to trick individuals at the victim companies into making wire transfers to accounts controlled by the fraudsters. Through this scheme, the defendants caused or attempted to cause millions of dollars in losses.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, leading to the eventual capture and prosecution of the fraudsters. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jessica D. Aber, along with Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, and FBI Assistant Director David Sundberg, announced the sentencing following a ruling by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers and Senior Counsel Thomas S. Dougherty of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) led the prosecution of the case. The investigation and indictment were further supported by CCIPS Senior Counsel Aarash Haghighat.

The successful extradition of Umeti and Okwonna from Kenya to the United States was made possible through the collaboration between the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Directorate of Criminal Investigation.

This case underscores the ongoing threat posed by cybercrime and the global efforts required to bring cybercriminals to justice. The sentences handed down to Okwonna and Umeti serve as a warning to those who engage in such fraudulent activities that they will be pursued and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.