33-Year-Old Nigerian Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Cyber Fraud Schemes
A 33-year-old Nigerian man has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for orchestrating a series of sophisticated cyber fraud schemes that targeted U.S. citizens and businesses, including those in the Chicago area.
The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly on Tuesday, follows Ridwan Adeleke Adepoju’s guilty plea in March 2025 to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois and the federal prosecutor’s sentencing memorandum, Adepoju and his co-conspirators operated multiple fraud schemes from Nigeria between 2017 and 2019.
These schemes included phishing scams designed to obtain sensitive W-2 forms, romance scams that exploited vulnerable individuals, and attempts to file fraudulent tax returns using stolen personal information. The fraudsters employed spoofed email addresses, fictitious social media personas, and unwitting “money mules” to facilitate their crimes, causing financial and emotional harm to numerous victims across the United States.
“[The] defendant’s offense involved a years-long, complex scheme, involving several types of scams and many victims,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie E. Ursini said in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant chose to be a willing participant in the scheme over and over again.”
The government highlighted the scale of the operation, noting that, while actual financial losses were estimated between $40,000 and $95,000, the scheme’s potential for harm was significant. One notable instance involved a $46,800 wire transfer from a company, as well as two attempted tax returns using stolen identities, neither of which resulted in the release of funds.
Adepoju’s defense, represented by attorney Joshua G. Herman, argued for a lighter sentence of 30 months, citing mitigating factors such as Adepoju’s difficult upbringing in Nigeria, his voluntary abandonment of criminal activity in 2019, and his efforts at self-improvement.
The defense memorandum detailed Adepoju’s sacrifices for his family following his father’s death when he was nine, including forgoing educational opportunities to support his mother and siblings. Letters from family and friends, including his wife Mary Oladipupo, described Adepoju as a devoted husband and brother who had turned his life around before his arrest, pursuing education and a photography business.
Despite these arguments, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly imposed a 43-month sentence. Adepoju, who was arrested in October 2023 at Newcastle International Airport in the United Kingdom while visiting his wife, was extradited to the United States in August 2024. He has been detained since his arrest.
Upon completion of his sentence, Adepoju faces additional challenges, including a likely removal process to Nigeria due to his immigration status, which could extend his time in custody by several months.
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