Okeoghene Patrick Udugba, 45, is accused of using romance scams and fake emails to divert more than $300,000 in US government grant funds

A 45-year-old Nigerian resident in the United States, Okeoghene Patrick Udugba, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pennsylvania over an alleged romance scam and business email compromise operation that prosecutors say defrauded a US government agency of more than $300,000.

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The Nigerian man indicted, who lives in Frisco, Texas, faces charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

US Attorney Brian Miller announced the indictment on Wednesday, alleging that Udugba and his co-conspirators operated overlapping schemes that combined online romance fraud with business email compromise tactics.

According to prosecutors, the group used social media platforms and dating websites to establish relationships with unsuspecting victims across several US states.

The victims were allegedly groomed over time and then manipulated into becoming money mules who received and cashed fraudulent cheques connected to the wider operation.

“Udugba and others utilised social media and dating websites to meet and establish purported romantic relationships with persons in multiple states,” Miller said.

“Those persons were groomed and ultimately used by Udugba and others as money mules to receive and cash fraudulently obtained checks.”

The alleged operation also targeted a US government agency through a separate but overlapping business email compromise scheme.

Prosecutors said members of the alleged conspiracy used spoofed email addresses originating from Nigeria to impersonate officials of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

The fraudulent communications allegedly instructed a grant administrator to use government funds to settle fabricated invoices.

The invoices reportedly falsely portrayed the money mules as contractors and consultants who had completed work on projects eligible for government grants.

“Members of the conspiracy sent emails from ‘spoofed’ addresses in Nigeria, claiming to be representatives of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service,” Miller said.

The alleged scheme resulted in the release of more than $300,000 in payments, according to the US Attorney’s Office.

The indictment adds to a growing list of cases in which US authorities have prosecuted individuals accused of combining online deception, financial fraud and money laundering to target victims across state and international borders.

For Udugba, the allegations could carry a significant prison sentence if he is ultimately convicted. Prosecutors said he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release and a possible fine.

The US Attorney’s Office, however, stressed that the charges remain allegations and that Udugba is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

“The indictments and criminal information are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court,” the office said.

The case also comes amid continued US enforcement efforts against financial crimes involving Nigerian nationals and international money-transfer networks.

In a separate case reported on April 8, a 49-year-old Nigerian living in California, Ifeanyi Ugwu, pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business that prosecutors said handled more than $5m in illegally obtained funds.

Ugwu, a resident of Bakersfield, admitted to operating the business between December 2020 and August 2023, according to US Attorney Eric Grant of the Eastern District of California.

Unlike Udugba’s case, which remains at the indictment stage, Ugwu’s case involved a guilty plea. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The two cases illustrate the continuing scrutiny faced by alleged international financial networks operating through the United States, although the charges and circumstances in each case are distinct.

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Udugba’s case will now proceed through the federal court system, where prosecutors will have to prove the allegations against him beyond a reasonable doubt if the matter goes to trial.