Scammer’s Downfall: How a Nigerian Man Fooled The IRS—Until the FBI Stepped In!A Nigerian national, Kingsley Uchelue Utulu, has been sentenced to five years and three months in a United States federal prison for his role in a sophisticated cybercrime and identity theft scheme that defrauded U.S. tax agencies and citizens of more than $2.5 million.
The sentence was handed down by a U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, as announced by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and FBI Assistant Director Christopher Raia over the weekend.
Utulu, 38, was convicted on charges of aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors said he participated in a criminal operation that hacked into U.S. tax preparation services, stole sensitive personal information, and used it to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other government bodies.
“Kingsley Uchelue Utulu was part of a scheme that targeted hard-working Americans through hacking and identity theft,” said Clayton. “Cybercriminals like Utulu may think they are out of reach, but today’s sentence proves otherwise.”
The FBI emphasized that location would not shield offenders from prosecution. “Regardless of where they are in the world, the FBI will hold those accountable who try to profit from deception and fraud,” Raia added.
Utulu was arrested in the United Kingdom and extradited to the U.S. to face trial. In addition to his prison sentence, he has been ordered to pay restitution totaling $3,683,029.39 and to forfeit $290,250 in illegally obtained funds.
This sentencing follows the recent convictions of two other Nigerian nationals, Abel Daramola and Olutayo Ogunlaja, for their involvement in a $560,000 international romance scam. They could each face up to 20 years in a U.S. federal prison.
