Obinna Obioha, 31, and a Nigerian hacker has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, and admitted to participating in a scheme to hack into computers and email accounts in the United States for the purpose of stealing money from American companies.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As part of his guilty plea, Obioha admitted that, while in Nigeria, he worked with others to hack into computers and email accounts used by dozens of victims in the United States and around the world.



After monitoring victims’ information to identify imminent commercial transactions, Obioha and his associates created knockoff email addresses that appeared similar to – but varied slightly from – victims’ legitimate email addresses.

Obioha and his associates then used those bogus email accounts to send fraudulent invoices to victims, instructing them to wire funds to bank accounts controlled by Obioha and his associates, under the pretense that the wires were payments for actual deals that had been previously negotiated by the victims.

Obioha admitted that between January and September 2016, he was involved in at least 50 wire transfers, and that about $6.5 million was sent to the bank accounts that he and his associates controlled. The accounts received money from fraud victims in New York, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, and Texas, among other places.

Obioha was arrested on October 6, 2016, after flying from Lagos, Nigeria, to JFK International Airport. He has been in custody since that time.

United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian said: “Foreign criminal enterprises prey upon American businesses and are using increasingly sophisticated means to do so, as demonstrated by this scheme. Obioha’s apprehension and conviction is a reminder that foreign nationals targeting American businesses cannot operate with impunity and that the reach of U.S. law enforcement agencies is global.”

“The FBI plays the long game,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Vadim D. Thomas. “Today’s plea is proof that no matter how distant justice may seem, no matter where criminal enterprises may operate, the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to securing justice for our businesses and communities.”

Obioha faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine, as well as the possibility of being ordered to pay restitution, when he is sentenced on July 26, 2017 by United States District Judge David N. Hurd. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Wayne A. Myers

http://punchng.com/obioha-nigerian-hacker-admits-6-5m-fraud-in-us-court/

[s]

Jetleeee:
Hmmm obioha obioha

Okoyiboz Ashiwajufoward yonkijisappo

Our friends have done it again

[/s]
are you not ashamed of yourself

The FBI arrested Tobechi Onwuhara for development. Now it's Obinna Obioha

And those Yorubas want to compare themselves with us. They think it's easy to get arrested by FBI lol. They think they can compete with the great igbo race

Even the great Simba is hailing us



We've taken the development to the Savannah.

That's a lot of money! If only they had stopped at some point, and be contented with the little they mad.

He probably wasnt caught specifically because of the crime. It could be something incriminating that sold him out at the airport

Obinna obioha why ?

South east representing...

Thunder fire every ipob out there, including your hero GEJ n KANU...thief's

Igbos are criminals...

Come to my house n beat me....

So we do not only have sophisticated hackers in India and Russia. This dude just wowed me. I'm proud of him. At least the loots our politicians siphon to America and Europe are being recovered by our ever gallant yahoo boys and hackers. Believe EFCC at your own peril.

obina has been nabbed

That Name
The region sounds familiar

that's a huge sum...
sorry obina, game up

OMG - its well with Nigerian

Pele ni oruko e

To be factual, Nairaland has its way of influencing someone whether negatively or not.

I came to check names.
Chai, why me?

Obinna Obioha

did this also happened in nigeria??

we hear..

Ish..

Wrong use of the word HACKER. He is not an hacker...
He is just a scammer

kunlesufyan:
That's a lot of money! If only they had stopped at some point, and be contented with the little they mad.

Stop ke? Dangote don stop?

Biafra why?

Na dem

where is that mumu that always shout afonja's?
here an ojukwu boy

Obinna obioha


Ndi developers

No more news.

Na wa oo

Na alibaba.
Its called email cloning.

Jetleeee:
The FBI arrested Tobechi onwuhara for development now it's Obinna Obioha

And those jealous Yorubas want to compare themselves with us. They think it's easy to get arrested by FBI. They think they can compete with the great igbo race

Even the great Simba is hailing us



We've taken the development to the Savannah.

You don' mad patapata brossssss!! ROTFLMAO! What Dafuq is this!!

Bad bad bad