A 41-year-old Nigerian national, Alex Ogunshakin, has been sentenced in Omaha, Nebraska, for his involvement in a wire fraud conspiracy that defrauded two U.S. businesses of more than $6 million. U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Senior U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard handed down a 45-month prison sentence on October 31, 2024, for Ogunshakin's role in the conspiracy. Under federal law, Ogunshakin will not be eligible for parole, and after his release, he will face three years of supervised release and potential deportation from the United States.
Ogunshakin was extradited to the United States in September 2023 after Nigerian authorities, cooperating with the U.S. Justice Department, arrested him in October 2020. He was previously listed on the FBI’s Cyber’s Most Wanted list. His scheme involved business email compromise (BEC), in which he and co-conspirators used compromised email accounts to impersonate executives and deceive employees into transferring large sums of money.
The fraudulent activities began as early as January 2015 and continued through September 2016, with the conspirators targeting accounting employees in multiple companies. By sending spoofed emails that appeared to come from senior executives, they convinced employees to authorize wire transfers to specified accounts. Two businesses in Nebraska were defrauded in 2015, and investigations revealed the scheme affected over 70 U.S. businesses, with total losses exceeding $6 million and attempted thefts totaling more than $30 million.
Authorities identified Ogunshakin’s involvement through his connections with other conspirators, who used his bank accounts to facilitate the transfers. Nigerian authorities arrested him following a request from the United States, and his extradition was approved by a Nigerian court in July 2023. Ogunshakin’s extradition was supported by the FBI, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Office of the Attorney General of Nigeria.
Ogunshakin’s co-conspirator, Adewale Akinloye, received a 96-month prison sentence in 2019, while three others—Richard Uzuh, Felix Okpoh, and Nnamdi Benson—remain at large. Another co-conspirator, Abiola Kayode, is currently awaiting extradition. The FBI led the investigation, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lecia E. Wright.
This case highlights ongoing international collaboration in addressing cybercrime and underscores the commitment to hold fraudsters accountable, regardless of borders.
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