A 24-year-old Nigerian man, Mercy Ojedeji, has pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and unlawful use of fraudulent immigration documents in the United States.
The plea was entered in a US District Court in St. Louis, Missouri, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri on Thursday, April 10.
On Wednesday, April 9, Ojedeji admitted to fraudulently securing a student visa and gaining admission into the University of Missouri’s chemistry PhD program in Fall 2023. He acknowledged using falsified academic transcripts, recommendation letters, a fake resume, and a fabricated English language proficiency report to obtain the visa.
With the visa in hand, Ojedeji obtained a Social Security card, a Missouri driver’s license, a bank account, and housing. He also received a stipend and tuition waiver from the university valued at over $49,000.
After failing to attend classes or participate in research activities, Ojedeji was dismissed from the graduate program in January 2024, which resulted in the termination of his student visa. Despite this, prosecutors say he used 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 complaints that victims of a romance fraud scheme were sending packages of cash and gift cards to the home of Ojedeji’s partner. Authorities tracked 35 Express Mail packages—sent between December 19, 2023, and January 4, 2024—that were linked to Nigerian IP addresses.
“A court-approved search of the home resulted in the discovery of packages sent pursuant to a Nigerian romance fraud scheme.
“A total of 193 packages were sent to the home through the Postal Services Express Mail, Federal Express, and United Parcel Service during Ojedeji’s relationship with the woman,” the statement reads.
Seventeen of the seized packages contained $94,150 in cash and gift cards, while prosecutors estimate the total intended loss at over $1 million.
Despite his guilty plea to immigration and wire fraud charges, Ojedeji has denied involvement in the romance scam.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while the immigration fraud charge could add up to 10 more years and a similar fine.
The final determination of losses and penalties will be made by the judge during sentencing.
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