Nigerian sentenced to 43 months jail for defrauding US citizens

Ridwan Adepoju, a Nigerian, has been sentenced to 43 months imprisonment by a United States of America District court for participating in a fraudulent scheme that targeted several Americans and businesses.

The US Department of Justice made this known in a statement.

According to the statement, Adepoju, alongside co-conspirators, operated fraudulent schemes that included phishing, romance scams, and the submission of fraudulent tax returns in Nigeria.

It noted that Adepoju had moved to the United Kingdom, where he was arrested and extradited to the US in 2024.

Upon his extradition and indictment, he pleaded guilty to counts bordering on federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in March 2025.

The statement read, “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.

“Ridwan Adeleke Adepoju and co-schemers operated multiple fraud schemes from Nigeria, including phishing scams, romance scams, and the submission of fraudulent tax returns. The scams involved multiple spoofed email addresses, fictional social media personas, and unwitting money mules.

“Adepoju’s schemes victimised numerous U.S. citizens and businesses, including individuals and companies in the Chicago area. Adepoju, 33, of Lagos, Nigeria, was arrested last year in the United Kingdom and extradited to the United States. He pleaded guilty in March to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.”

Following his guilty plea, Adepoju was sentenced to 43 months’ imprisonment by a US District Judge.

“On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly imposed a 43-month prison sentence,” the statement noted.