Okeoghene Patrick Udugba, a 45-year-old Nigerian living in Frisco, Texas, faces federal charges for his supposed role in a sophisticated romance and business email compromise plot. The US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania reports that the scheme targeted a federal agency, resulting in losses exceeding $300,000.
Udugba has been indicted on counts of money laundering and conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. US Attorney Brian D. Miller explained that the operation involved multiple conspirators who utilized dating sites and social media to form deceptive relationships. Victims were often manipulated into becoming money mules, tasked with cashing illegal checks for the group.
The suspects allegedly impersonated officials from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) via spoofed email accounts. They convinced the agency’s grant administrator to pay fake invoices by falsely asserting that the recruited money mules were contractors who performed work on government-funded projects. This led to unauthorized payments totaling over $300,000.
This case is being handled by a coalition of agencies including the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General. The prosecution, led by Sarah R. Lloyd, is tied to broader efforts by the Homeland Security Task Force to dismantle international criminal networks. If found guilty, Udugba faces up to 30 years in prison. However, the authorities maintain that he is currently presumed innocent until proven guilty.
