A Nigerian national, Onomen Uduebor, has been sentenced to three years and four months in a U.S. federal prison for his role in a $140,000 tax refund fraud scheme.
Uduebor told the court that he committed the crime out of desperation to succeed in his music career.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the 39-year-old was extradited from the United Kingdom to face trial after being indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Between 2016 and 2017, Uduebor and his co-conspirators reportedly used fake emails to impersonate company HR departments and obtain employee information.
Using these details, they filed more than 300 fraudulent tax returns, seeking over $1 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The statement revealed that Uduebor personally submitted 150 of the false tax filings and helped track payments sent to accounts opened in the victims’ names.
Although the IRS paid out about $140,000, Uduebor claimed he received only $10,000 from the fraud. U.S. authorities were able to recover part of the funds, leaving a total restitution of $122,720 owed to the Treasury.
During his sentencing, U.S. District Judge James Robart condemned Uduebor’s actions, saying, “He freely participated in the fraud and had a substantial role in the scheme.
Thirty years old is not a young man, and he ought to have known better.”
Responding to the court and victims, Uduebor admitted his wrongdoing. “I have read the victim impact statements, and I know an apology is not enough. I was desperate to succeed in my music career. It is not an excuse, but it is the truth,” he said.
Uduebor was arrested in the UK in September 2023, extradited to the U.S. in March 2025, and pleaded guilty the following month.
He is expected to be deported to Nigeria after serving his sentence.