Nigerian Onaghise bags 51 months in jail for fraud in the U.S

A 33 year-old Nigerian residing in Austin, Texas, has been sentenced to 51 months in US federal prison for his participation in a conspiracy that laundered more than $1.7 million.

Nosa Onaghise was sentenced for his role in a conspiracy that laundered more than $1.7 million in Business Email Compromise (BEC) scam proceeds, stolen from multiple companies.

He must also pay $1,639,419.57 in restitution, pay a $230,000 money judgment, forfeit $14,282.50 seized from a bank account, and be placed on supervised release for three years, after completing jail term.

On December 12, 2018, Onaghise pleaded guilty to one count of passport fraud admitting to attempting to use a false, forged or counterfeit passport to open several bank accounts in the U.S. in 2018, in furtherance of the fraud scheme.

On December 20, 2019, Joseph Odibobhahemen, a 28-year-old Nigerian citizen formerly residing in Austin and Onaghise’s co-defendant, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for his role in the fraud scheme.

The four additional co-conspirators—Bameyi Omale, Chinonso Agbaji, Igho Calaba and Chibuzor Uba—have all pleaded guilty and are currently serving lengthy federal prison terms: Omale, 135 months; Agbaji, 78 months; Calaba, 30 months; and Uba, 36 months.

Court records show that between November 2016 and April 2019, over $10 million was allegedly sent by victims to accounts controlled by the conspirators, who were able to take in excess of $6 million before law enforcement or financial institutions stopped the fraudulent transfers.