A Nigerian national, Okechuckwu Valentine Osuji, 39, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for orchestrating a large-scale business email compromise (BEC) scheme that defrauded numerous victims, including companies, nonprofits, and individuals across the United States.
Osuji and his co-conspirators carried out the scheme by impersonating legitimate entities in email communications to deceive businesses into transferring funds into bank accounts under their control. These accounts, often belonging to “money mules,” were used to launder the stolen funds or converted to cash for further transfers.
Victims of the fraud included a financial company in Connecticut, a lending firm in Colorado, a nonprofit performing arts organization in Alaska, and a food and beverage business in New York. The scheme also targeted elderly individuals through romance scams, manipulating them into serving as unwitting money mules. One victim, an elderly woman, testified that she was misled into sending her life savings and Social Security income to someone she believed was her romantic partner. The scam left her financially devastated, forcing her to declare bankruptcy and leading to the repossession of her home.
Osuji was arrested in Malaysia in 2022 and extradited to the United States, where he faced trial in New Haven, Connecticut. On May 1, 2024, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The scheme caused over $6 million in losses and intended losses. At his sentencing hearing, Osuji was ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
The case also involved co-conspirators. John Wamuigah, another alleged participant, remains in Malaysia and is awaiting extradition. Tolulope Bodunde, also a Nigerian citizen, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison in October 2024.
The investigation was led by the FBI New Haven Field Office and the Stamford Police Department, with assistance from the Royal Malaysia Police and Malaysian Attorney General’s Chambers. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Lydia Lichlyter of the DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel for the District of Connecticut.
