A U.S. jury has found Nigerian national Olusegun Samson Adejorin guilty of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorised access to a protected computer, following a complex scheme that defrauded charitable organisations of over $7 million.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the conviction on Thursday, stressing the gravity of the offences and the sophisticated nature of the fraudulent scheme led by Adejorin.
Evidence presented at trial showed that between June and August 2020, the 32-year-old perpetrated the scheme by impersonating employees of two charitable organisations, gaining unauthorised access to email accounts and inducing fraudulent financial transactions.
The offences were carried out through the registration of spoofed domain names, enabling Adejorin to pose as the second organisation’s employees and request withdrawals from the first victim, ultimately causing over $7.5 million to be transferred to accounts under his control.
Extradited from Ghana to the United States to face trial, Adejorin now faces more than 100 years in prison if sentenced for all charges.
The Department of Justice noted that the maximum penalties include 20 years for each of the five counts of wire fraud, five years for unauthorised computer access, and a mandatory two years for aggravated identity theft.
His sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2026, when the court will determine the final prison term for the multi-million-dollar fraud scheme.
