Nigerian indicted in US Over $300,000 romance, email fraud

A federal grand jury in Pennsylvania has indicted a 45-year-old Nigerian national, Okeoghene Patrick Udugba, on charges including money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Udugba, who resides in Frisco, Texas, is accused of masterminding elaborate fraud schemes that allegedly defrauded victims of over $300,000.

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Udugba and others orchestrated overlapping romance and business email compromise schemes.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Udugba and his associates allegedly ran overlapping romance and business email compromise schemes. They reportedly used social media and dating websites to build fake relationships with individuals across multiple states. These individuals were then allegedly groomed to act as "money mules," receiving and cashing fraudulent checks.

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As part of the scheme, Udugba and others utilized social media and dating websites to meet and establish purported romantic relationships with persons in multiple states. Those persons were groomed and ultimately used by Udugba and others as money mules to receive and cash fraudulently obtained checks.

The indictment further details how the syndicate allegedly sent spoofed emails from Nigeria, impersonating representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). These fraudulent emails directed payments for fabricated invoices, falsely claiming the money mules were contractors for FWS grant-eligible projects. The scheme resulted in the FWS grant administrator issuing payments exceeding $300,000.

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The spoofed emails directed that FWS grant funds be used to pay fabricated invoices, which falsely represented that the money mules were contractors and consultants of FWS who had performed work on grant-eligible projects.

This prosecution is part of a broader effort by the Homeland Security Task Force to combat transnational criminal organizations. The case is being investigated by multiple federal agencies, including the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations. If convicted, Udugba faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, supervised release, and a fine. However, the U.S. Attorney's Office stressed that the indictment contains only allegations, and all charged individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.