A U.S. federal court has sentenced two Nigerian nationals, Franklin Okwonna and Ebuka Umeti, to prison for their roles in a large-scale wire fraud scheme that swindled victims out of more than $5 million.
The sophisticated scheme targeted businesses in the U.S. and abroad, using phishing emails, malware, and unauthorized wire transfers to carry out the fraud.
Okwonna, 34, received a prison sentence of five years and three months and was ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution.
He had pleaded guilty on May 20 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Umeti, 35, received a more severe sentence of 10 years in prison and was also ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution.
He was convicted by a federal jury on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to cause intentional damage to a protected computer, and intentional damage to a protected computer.
According to court documents and trial evidence, the scheme began in February 2016 and continued until July 2021.
Okwonna, Umeti, and their co-conspirators sent phishing emails to businesses, which appeared to be from trusted sources such as banks or vendors.
The emails contained malicious software that allowed the conspirators to gain unauthorized access to the victims' computer systems and email accounts.
Once they had access, the fraudsters obtained sensitive information and tricked employees into authorizing wire transfers to accounts controlled by the conspirators.
The scheme caused or attempted to cause over $5 million in losses to the targeted businesses.
The investigation, led by the FBI's Washington Field Office, uncovered a complex web of deceit and deception.
It said that the fraudsters used various tactics to evade detection, including using fake names, addresses, and phone numbers.
After the victim opened an attachment, their computers would be infected with malicious software, or “malware,” that allowed the defendants and their co-conspirators to gain unauthorized access to the victim’s computer systems and email accounts.
However, the authorities were able to track them down and bring them to justice.
“As a result of this scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators caused or attempted to cause over $5 million in losses to the victim companies.”
The case was prosecuted by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the US Department of Justice.
