The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has apprehended Sapphire Egemasi, a Nigerian tech enthusiast, for her alleged involvement in a large-scale fraud scheme targeting multiple US government agencies. Egemasi was arrested alongside other co-conspirators, including Samuel Kwadwo Osei, the reported leader of the syndicate, in April in Bronx, New York.
Egemasi and her co-defendants face multiple counts of internet fraud and money laundering, with crimes allegedly committed between September 2021 and February 2023.
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According to investigators, Egemasi’s role in the syndicate involved designing spoof websites impersonating official US government domains to steal login credentials. The syndicate allegedly rerouted $965,000 stolen from Kentucky into a PNC Bank account and $330,000 into a Bank of America account in August 2022.
The arrest followed a federal grand jury indictment filed in 2024, charging Egemasi and her co-defendants with multiple counts of internet fraud and money laundering. If convicted, Egemasi could face up to 20 years in prison, significant financial penalties, and eventual deportation to her home country upon completion of her sentence.
Egemasi and her co-accused are currently in federal custody, being held pending trial in Lexington, Kentucky. The FBI’s action highlights the agency’s commitment to combating cybercrime and international fraud schemes. The case underscores the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and financial institutions to prevent and investigate financial crimes.
