Nigerian Convicted of $7.5m Charity Fraud in US
A federal jury in Maryland has convicted Olusegun Samson Adejorin, a 32-year-old Nigerian national, for his role in a sophisticated scheme to defraud two charitable organizations of over $7.5 million.
According to a press release by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Adejorin was found guilty of five counts of wire fraud, unauthorized access to a protected computer, and aggravated identity theft following a six-day trial.
The conviction comes after Adejorin was extradited from Ghana to face charges related to the cybercrime operation, which took place between June and August 2020.
The DOJ revealed that Adejorin targeted a charity based in Maryland and another in New York. He executed the fraud by gaining unauthorized access to employee email accounts and impersonating staff members.
“Adejorin registered spoofed domain names to pose as employees of one charity to request withdrawals from the other.
“He also accessed emails to falsely confirm the withdrawal requests, ultimately causing more than $7.5 million to be sent to accounts unrelated to the charities,” the DOJ statement read.
By manipulating financial transactions and posing as legitimate employees, Adejorin successfully diverted millions of dollars intended for charitable causes into fraudulent accounts.
Adejorin now faces severe penalties for his crimes. He could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of the five wire fraud counts, plus an additional five years for unauthorized computer access.
Furthermore, he faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled the sentencing hearing for Friday, April 10, 2026.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and Darren S. Gardner.
It falls under “Operation Take Back America,” a DOJ initiative aimed at combating organized crime and violent activities.
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