A 35-year-old Nigerian man, Lotenna Chisom Umeadi, has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud after being extradited from Germany to the United States.
U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday, March 20.
Umeadi admitted to buying a webpage from a hacker that gave him illegal access to email passwords. He then used these credentials to break into email accounts of employees working for a Sri Lankan produce export company.
Once inside the accounts, Umeadi sent fake emails posing as the exporter. In these emails, he instructed a produce importer based in Plattsburgh, New York, to transfer payments to bank accounts in the United Kingdom, which he controlled.
Authorities revealed that the fraudulent scheme led to two separate wire transfers in 2016, totaling $158,400.
Arrest and Legal Consequences
Umeadi was arrested on September 1, 2024, in Germany after arriving from Nigeria. He was later extradited to the United States to face prosecution.
At his sentencing, scheduled for July 21, 2025, he could receive up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. After serving his prison term, he will be deported from the U.S.
HSI is leading the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer is prosecuting the case with support from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs.
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