Two Nigerian ex-US airmen jailed for cyber fraud

Two Nigerian ex-US airmen, Chijioke Odimegwu, 25, and Harafat Mogaji, 26, have been sentenced to a combined 15 years and nine months in prison for their involvement in an international cyber fraud scheme. According to prosecutors, the two men, who previously served in the United States Air Force, attacked businesses across the United States for nearly two years.

They tricked victims into releasing confidential information, then used stolen credentials and spoofed email addresses to communicate with victims and redirect payments to accounts controlled by the defendants and their co-conspirators. The scheme resulted in the diversion of over $2.4 million in wire transfers from victims in Iowa City and Ohio.

Odimegwu was sentenced to 111 months in prison and ordered to pay $366,617.59 in restitution, while Mogaji received a 78-month term and must pay $995,680.45 in restitution. Both will serve an additional three years of supervised release after completing their sentences.