Two Nigerian scammers, Opeyemi Abidemi Adeoso and Benjamin Adeleke Ifebajo, have been sentenced to a combined 22½ years in federal prison for their involvement in a massive wire fraud scheme. Adeoso, 46, pleaded guilty to 17 counts of wire fraud, eight counts of money laundering, and other charges, receiving a sentence of 151 months and being ordered to pay $9.3 million in restitution. Ifebajo, 47, was sentenced to 120 months and $2.1 million in restitution for his role in the same scheme.
Both fraudsters were part of Operation reWired, an investigation initiated by the FBI after receiving a report of a business email compromise scheme involving over $504,000. They used fraudulent passports to open bank accounts under assumed names and sent phishing emails to prompt wire transfers. The money was then withdrawn in cash or via cashier’s checks before being deposited into other alias accounts.
FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno emphasized the impact of such schemes on businesses and the economy, stating that they will continue to hold fraudsters accountable. The investigation involved the FBI’s Dallas Field Office, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office.
Additionally, a third conspirator, Temitope Aminat Folorunsho, 35, pleaded guilty to multiple charges and was sentenced to 37 months in prison with $221,000 in restitution. She used aliases including Terri L. Brown and Michelle Angel Cole.
The sentencing of Adeoso and Ifebajo demonstrates the ongoing efforts by federal law enforcement to combat sophisticated cybercrimes and protect the economy from fraudulent activities.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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