A United States District Court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Ridwan Adepoju, to 43 months in prison for his involvement in a series of fraudulent schemes that targeted American citizens and businesses.
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed the sentencing in a statement obtained by PUNCH Metro on Sunday.
According to the statement, Adepoju and his co-conspirators operated from Nigeria, orchestrating various cybercrimes, including phishing attacks, romance scams, and the filing of fraudulent tax returns.
The group used spoofed email addresses, fake social media profiles, and unsuspecting intermediaries, often referred to as “money mules,” to execute their scams.
Adepoju, 33, was later arrested in the United Kingdom and extradited to the United States in 2024. In March 2025, he pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
“A foreign national has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for conducting a variety of cyber fraud schemes that victimised U.S. citizens and businesses,” the DOJ statement said.
“Ridwan Adeleke Adepoju and his co-schemers carried out their schemes from Nigeria, targeting victims across the U.S., including individuals and companies in the Chicago area.”
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly handed down the 43-month sentence following Adepoju’s guilty plea.
The case adds to a growing list of Nigerians convicted in the U.S. for internet-related crimes.
On Thursday, PUNCH Metro reported that a U.S. court had sentenced five Nigerians to a combined 159 years in prison for defrauding more than 100 Americans, companies, and government agencies of approximately $17 million.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, Ray Combs, identified the defendants—Damilola Kumapayi, Sandra Iribhogbe, Edgal Iribhogbe, Chidindu Okeke, and Chiagoziem Okeke—as members of a transnational organised crime group responsible for large-scale financial fraud.
