Nigerian Jailed Eight Years In US For Stealing $7.5m From Charities

A 32-year-old Nigerian national, Olusegun Adejorin, has been sentenced to eight years in a United States federal prison for his role in a business email compromise scheme that defrauded two charitable organisations of more than $7.5 million.

Adejorin was sentenced to 96 months in prison by US District Judge Theodore Chuang, followed by three years of supervised release. He was convicted of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and unauthorised access to a protected computer to obtain information.

The sentence followed a six-day federal trial that ended in December 2025, when a jury found Adejorin guilty on all charges.

Prosecutors said Adejorin carried out the fraud between June and August 2020, targeting two charitable organisations, one based in Maryland and another in New York.

According to evidence presented during the trial, Adejorin gained unauthorised access to employees’ email accounts and impersonated staff members to manipulate financial transactions.

He also registered spoofed internet domains designed to resemble those belonging to the New York-based charity. Using the fraudulent domains, he allegedly posed as employees of the organisation and submitted requests for withdrawals of its funds held by the Maryland organisation.

Adejorin then allegedly gained access to email accounts belonging to employees of the Maryland organisation and used those accounts to send false confirmations approving the fraudulent withdrawal requests.

The scheme ultimately resulted in more than $7.5 million belonging to the New York charity being transferred from the Maryland organisation to bank accounts that were not associated with the intended recipient.

Adejorin was extradited from Ghana to the United States in August 2024 to face prosecution. His extradition followed cooperation between US authorities and several Ghanaian agencies.

The international investigation involved law enforcement and security agencies in both countries, with authorities working together to locate Adejorin, secure his arrest and facilitate his transfer to the United States.

The case demonstrates the growing threat posed by business email compromise schemes, in which criminals exploit compromised accounts, impersonate employees and manipulate organisations into authorising fraudulent payments.

US authorities said the investigation involved the FBI and international partners who assisted in bringing Adejorin before the court.

The sentence means Adejorin will spend eight years in federal prison before serving three years under supervised release, subject to the conditions imposed by the court.

The conviction brings to an end a case that began with the 2020 fraud scheme and later resulted in an international investigation, extradition and federal prosecution.

The case also highlights the financial risks faced by charitable organisations and other institutions that manage large sums through electronic communication and banking systems.