Two Mexican men plead guilty to federal drug, firearms and smuggling charges.
A Nigerian man has been sentenced to nearly eight years in federal prison for helping move more than $3.1 million in money linked to fraud schemes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The case involved several types of scams that targeted U.S. people and businesses, including romance scams, unemployment insurance fraud and business email scams. Oluwasegun Baiyewu, 40, of Houston, Texas, received a sentence of 95 months in prison for his role in the money laundering operation. Court records show that Baiyewu worked with at least six other people in the United States and Nigeria between May 2020 and October 2021.
The group used encrypted messaging services, including WhatsApp, to communicate about money obtained through fraud and to coordinate how those funds would be handled. The messages allegedly helped the group organize the movement of money and plan purchases made with proceeds from the scams. Rather than leaving the stolen funds sitting in bank accounts where they could potentially be traced, the group allegedly found a way to convert the money into physical assets that could be transported overseas. Funds obtained through the various fraud schemes were used to purchase used and salvaged vehicles located in the United States. Once the vehicles were purchased, arrangements were made to ship them to West Africa, including Nigeria. By turning fraud proceeds into vehicles and moving those vehicles across international borders, the group allegedly created a way to transfer the value of the stolen money from the United States to other countries while benefiting members of the conspiracy.
One transaction involved a Puerto Rican renewable energy company that lost about $280,000 through a business email compromise scam. The company was tricked into sending the money by wire to bank accounts controlled by people involved in the fraud and laundering operation. After the money had been transferred, Baiyewu and others used part of the funds to help pay for vehicles. Baiyewu arranged for the cars to be exported and shipped to Nigeria, where the proceeds were intended to benefit members of the group.
A jury found Baiyewu guilty in August 2025 of conspiracy to commit money laundering. His sentence was recently announced, after the federal court considered the case and imposed 95 months behind bars. The prosecution was part of a larger federal effort to address online scams and the criminal networks that move money obtained from those schemes, according to the DOJ. The agency’s Criminal Division operates the Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative, which focuses on cases involving online financial crimes. That program handles cases involving investment and cryptocurrency scams, government impersonation schemes, romance and inheritance scams, lottery scams and other forms of financial fraud. Federal officials have also created partnerships between prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to pursue people involved in these operations and trace money taken from victims.
Investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the FBI San Juan Cyber Task Force worked on the Baiyewu case as well. The National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force also assisted investigators connected to efforts addressing fraud involving pandemic-related government programs. Federal officials continue to pursue cases involving people accused of obtaining money through fraud and helping criminal groups move those funds across borders.
Sources:
Nigerian jailed in US for laundering $3.1m scam proceeds
Nigerian National Sentenced for Laundering $3.1M in Scam Proceeds
Join the conversation!