Nigerian Hacker Extradited, Jailed in U.S. for Massive Cyber Fraud

A United States federal court has sentenced Nigerian national Nigerian Extradited, Jailed in U.S. for Massive Cyber Fraudfive years and three months in prison for his role in a sophisticated hacking and identity theft scheme that defrauded U.S. tax authorities and private individuals of over $2.5 million. The sentence was handed down following his guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, Christopher Raia, announced the sentencing on Saturday. According to authorities, Utulu was involved in a cybercrime ring that infiltrated electronic systems of tax preparation businesses across the United States. By using spearphishing emails, the conspirators gained access to sensitive client data, including personal identifying information used to file fraudulent tax returns.

Clayton condemned the scheme, emphasizing that Utulu and his co-conspirators operated from abroad with the belief that they could evade justice. “Offshore scammers like Utulu may think they can target hard-working Americans and avoid prosecution,” he said. “The message from the Department and the FBI is clear — they cannot.”

Raia also highlighted the international reach of the cybercrime operation. “Utulu’s actions caused significant harm,” he said. “Along with his co-conspirators, this defendant’s scheme reached across the globe to exploit sensitive information for financial gain. The FBI will never exempt any individual who seeks to unlawfully profit through deceitful practices, regardless of where they are located.”

According to documents cited by DataBreaches.net and reported by *PUNCH Metro*, the fraudulent scheme began in 2019 and involved the hacking of multiple tax firms in New York, Texas, and other states. The stolen identities were used not only to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and state tax agencies but also to file false claims through the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, from which they secured an additional \$819,000.

Utulu, 38, was arrested in the United Kingdom and extradited to the United States for prosecution. In addition to his 63-month prison sentence, he was ordered to pay \$3,683,029.39 in restitution and forfeit \$290,250.

His conviction is part of a growing trend of Nigerian nationals being prosecuted in the U.S. and Europe for cyber-enabled financial crimes. In January, two other Nigerians, Olutayo Ogunlaja and Abel Daramola, were convicted in a separate case involving a 560,000 international romance scam and now face up to 20 years in a U.S. federal prison.