Mercy Ojedeji, a 24-year-old Nigerian man, has pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and the unlawful use of fraudulent immigration documents in the United States.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri released on Thursday, Ojedeji entered his plea in a U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Missouri.On Wednesday, Ojedeji admitted to illegally obtaining a student visa and gaining admission to the University of Missouri’s PhD program in Chemistry for the Fall 2023 semester.
He confessed to using forged academic transcripts, fake recommendation letters, a counterfeit resume, and a falsified English language proficiency report to secure the visa.With the visa, Ojedeji was able to acquire a Social Security card, a Missouri driver’s license, a bank account, and housing.
Additionally, he received a stipend and a tuition waiver from the university worth over $49,000..However, after failing to attend classes or engage in research activities, he was dismissed from the graduate program in January 2024, leading to the termination of his student visa. Despite this, prosecutors allege that Ojedeji continued to use the invalid visa to obtain a state driver’s license on February 26, 2024.
The investigation began when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service received reports that victims of a romance fraud scheme were sending cash and gift cards to Ojedeji’s partner. Authorities tracked 35 Express Mail packages sent between December 19, 2023, and January 4, 2024, connected to Nigerian IP addresses.
A court-approved search of the residence uncovered packages related to a Nigerian romance fraud scheme.
In total, 193 packages were sent to the home via Postal Service Express Mail, Federal Express, and United Parcel Service during Ojedeji’s relationship with the woman. Seventeen of the seized packages contained cash and gift cards valued at $94,150, with prosecutors estimating the total intended loss to exceed $1 million.
Although Ojedeji has pleaded guilty to the fraud and immigration charges, he denies involvement in the romance scam.
He is set to be sentenced on July 10.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while the immigration fraud charge could add an additional 10 years and a similar financial penalty.
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