Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A federal jury in Greenbelt, Maryland, has convicted Olusegun Samson Adejorin, a 32-year-old Nigerian national, for his role in a sprawling $7.5 million charity fraud scheme that targeted two U.S.-based charitable organisations through sophisticated email and cyber deception. The verdict, delivered after a six-day trial, marks a significant outcome in one of the more serious fraud prosecutions involving a non-U.S. national in recent years.
According to prosecutors, Adejorin orchestrated a complex business email compromise scheme between June and August 2020 that diverted funds from one charity to illegitimate accounts controlled by him. He was found guilty on multiple counts, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorised access to a protected computer, charges that reflect the digital nature of the crime and its impact on victims that depend on the charities for operations and services.
Evidence presented in court revealed how Adejorin gained access to the email accounts of employees at the New York-based charity and used spoofed domain names to impersonate staff members, falsely authorising transfers and pulling crucial financial strings. He also accessed the Maryland charity’s email accounts to approve and conceal the fraudulent requests. Through this manipulation, more than $7.5 million was siphoned from one organisation to accounts unrelated to the legitimate charity recipients.
Adejorin was previously extradited from Ghana to the United States to face federal charges, a process that involved international law enforcement cooperation and underscored the transnational reach of U.S. justice authorities when prosecuting cross-border cybercrimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), led the investigation, highlighting how crucial collaboration between countries can bring alleged offenders to trial.
Under U.S. federal law, the charges Adejorin faces carry substantial statutory penalties. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, while unauthorised access to a protected computer can bring up to five years, and aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must be served consecutively. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has set sentencing for April 10, 2026, when the court will determine Adejorin’s actual prison term under federal sentencing guidelines.
Federal prosecutors praised the investigation and the work of the FBI, noting that the case involved highly deceptive digital tactics that enabled substantial financial loss to organisations with charitable missions. In issuing the verdict, the court underscored that exploiting nonprofit institutions and abusing trust placed in legitimate actors is treated as a serious federal offence, particularly when it undermines the operations of those serving vulnerable communities.
Legal experts say that the sentencing phase will consider factors such as the scale of the fraud, the sophistication of the scheme and the financial and operational harm inflicted on the victim charities. It is not uncommon for federal sentences in such cases to result in substantial prison time, though final terms often fall below the maximum statutory limits when guidelines and mitigating factors are weighed.
The conviction of Olusegun Samson Adejorin adds to a pattern of U.S. prosecutions targeting email-based fraud and identity-theft schemes that have cost American organisations and citizens billions of dollars over the past decade. Authorities have repeatedly emphasised the need for robust cybersecurity protocols, employee awareness and multi-factor authentication to counter increasingly sophisticated fraud methods used by criminal actors operating across borders.
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