US Jury Convicts Nigerian of Massive Email Fraud Operation
Ebuka Raphael Umeti, 35, faces up to 27 years in prison for running a commercial email compromise scam that targeted businesses in the US and abroad, resulting in nearly $1.5 million in losses.
On Thursday, June 13, a federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, found a Nigerian guilty of running a commercial email compromise scam that preyed on victims both domestically and abroad.
Ebuka Raphael Umeti, 35, and his accomplices sent phishing emails to target companies, pretending to be from reliable sources like banks or suppliers, according to court records and evidence produced during the trial.
The co-conspirators were able to access target computer systems and email accounts without authorization thanks to these phishing attempts; frequently, this was accomplished by infecting victim computers with malware or malicious software that permitted remote access.
After gaining access, the co-conspirators used their newfound access to obtain sensitive information, which they then used to trick employees at the victim companies into approving fraudulent transfers to accounts controlled by the co-conspirators.
The co-conspirators of this plan caused or attempted to cause their victims to lose nearly $1.5 million.
“Umeti participated in a sophisticated computer hacking and business email compromise scheme that targeted numerous businesses in the United States.” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.
“Although Umeti and his co-conspirators carried out their scheme from outside the United States, they were not beyond the reach of the Justice Department.
“Today's conviction should serve as yet another reminder that, if you target American victims, the Criminal Division is committed to tracking you down and holding you responsible for your criminal conduct, no matter where you are.”
“The reach of cyber criminals is extensive, but so too is the reach of the law,” said Attorney Jessica D.
“Umeti relied on hidden malware, deception, and an ocean of distance to steal from American businesses and avoid prosecution.
A committed group of detectives and prosecutors demonstrated extraordinary tenacity in bringing him to justice in spite of those challenges and obfuscations.
"Today's guilty verdict is a victory in our fight against cybercrime and should serve as a warning to cybercriminals who believe they can operate with impunity.
“The FBI remains committed to relentlessly pursuing those engaged in malicious cyber activities and ensuring they are held accountable.” stated FBI Washington field office Assistant Director Charge David Sundberg.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to intentionally damage a protected computer, and deliberate damage to a protected computer were among the accusations against Umeti that the jury found him guilty of.
Umeti is scheduled to be sentenced in August.
He could spend a maximum of 27 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five years for the conspiracy to intentionally damage a protected computer, twenty years for each crime of wire fraud, and ten years for intentionally damaging a protected computer.
A federal district court judge will determine the punishment after taking the US Sentencing Guidelines and other pertinent statutory circumstances into account.
On Monday, May 20, Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Okwonna, a 34-year-old co-defendant, entered a guilty plea for his role in the conspiracy. He is expected to be sentenced in September.
The prosecution in this case is being handled by Assistant US Attorney Laura D. Withers of the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Counsel Thomas S. Dougherty of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).
Aarash Haghighat, Senior Counsel for CCIPS, contributed to the case's investigation and indictment as well.
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