{
  "id": 4040474,
  "title": "Nigerian jailed in US for laundering $3.1m scam proceeds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/nigerian-jailed-in-us-for-laundering-3-1m-scam-proceeds",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-28T22:10:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/nigerian-jailed-in-us-for-laundering-3-1m-scam-proceeds/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Oluwasegun Baiyewu, a Nigerian national residing in Houston, Texas, has been sentenced to 95 months in prison by the United States government for his involvement in a money laundering scheme. The charges stem from his role in a conspiracy that involved multiple fraud schemes targeting US citizens between May 2020 and October 2021. The US Department of Justice revealed that Baiyewu coordinated with at least six other co-conspirators - both in the United States and Nigeria - through encrypted messaging applications like WhatsApp. Together, they used illicit funds obtained from various schemes to purchase salvaged cars and ship them to Nigeria. One notable instance involved a business email compromise scheme that defrauded a Puerto Rican renewable energy company of approximately $280,000, which Baiyewu then laundered. In August 2025, a federal jury convicted Baiyewu on a single count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Criminal Division's Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative, working alongside various US federal agencies, handled the investigation and prosecution of this case.",
  "summary": "A Nigerian national, Oluwasegun Baiyewu, has been sentenced to 95 months (7 years and 11 months) in prison in the United States for laundering more than $3.1 million in proceeds from various fraud schemes targeting US citizens. The US Department of Justice said Baiyewu, 40, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced on Thursday for his role Read More:…",
  "key_points": [
    "Nigerian Oluwasegun Baiyewu sentenced to 95 months in US prison",
    "Baiyewu coordinated money laundering scheme targeting US citizens",
    "$3.1m in laundered scam proceeds linked to Puerto Rican renewable energy company fraud"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Nigerian jailed in US for laundering $3.1m scam proceeds",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/nigerian-jailed-in-us-for-laundering-3-1m-scam-proceeds-4048001",
        "published": "2026-08-28T22:32:56.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}