US-Based Nigerian Gets 20-Year Jail Term, Faces Deportation Over $2m Fraud Scheme

A Nigerian man living in the United States, Oluwaseun Adekoya, has been ordered to be deported after completing a 20-year federal prison sentence for his role in a $2 million fraud scheme. His sentencing followed a three-week trial in which a jury found him guilty of bank fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and nine counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to details released by the U.S. Department of Justice, Adekoya ran the operation from a luxury apartment in New Jersey, using publicly available data to identify individuals with sizable home-equity credit lines at credit unions across the country. Prosecutors said he relied on encrypted messaging platforms to obtain sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers and account details, which he passed on to a nationwide network of recruits. These operatives, equipped with fake driver’s licences, impersonated account holders to withdraw funds.

Investigators found that Adekoya used burner phones and encrypted apps to mask his activities and laundered his proceeds through accounts opened in other people’s names. Some of the money was reinvested in expanding the operation, including purchasing travel tickets, counterfeit IDs, and rental cars for accomplices.

The scheme began to unravel in May 2022 when a federal credit union noticed suspicious impersonation attempts and alerted the FBI. The investigation led to Adekoya’s arrest in December 2023. During a search of his apartment, agents discovered multiple burner phones, luxury items including Rolex watches, a $51,000 engagement ring, designer goods, and around $26,000 linked to the laundering activities. These assets have since been seized.

The court learned that Adekoya, who gained U.S. permanent residency in 2024, had been involved in fraud since 2008. Judge Mae A. D’Agostino described him as a persistent offender who escalated his criminal activities over the years. In addition to his prison term, Adekoya must serve five years of supervised release, pay more than $2.2 million in restitution, and satisfy a mandatory $1,100 special assessment. He will be removed from the United States once his sentence is completed.

Thirteen associates who aided the scheme were also charged and convicted, including David Daniyan, Kani Bassie, Davon Hunter, Christian Quivers, Jermon Brooks, Akeem Balogun, Victor Barriera, Danielle Cappetti, Jerjuan Joyner, Gaysha Kennedy, Crystal Kurschner, and Sherry Ozmore.