A 35-year-old Nigerian man, Lotenna Chisom Umeadi, has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud following his extradition from Germany to the United States. The announcement was made by United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in a statement released on Thursday, March 20.
Umeadi admitted to purchasing a compromised webpage from a computer hacker, which enabled him to illegally obtain email passwords belonging to employees of a produce exporter based in Sri Lanka. Exploiting this unauthorized access, Umeadi used the stolen passwords to gain control over several email accounts associated with the company.
Once he gained access, Umeadi orchestrated a sophisticated scheme where he sent fraudulent emails that appeared to come directly from the produce exporter. However, the emails were sent from an account that he had created and controlled. Through these deceptive emails, Umeadi directed a produce importer located in Plattsburgh, New York, to make payments on accounts receivable belonging to the Sri Lankan company into bank accounts in the United Kingdom, which he managed.
The scheme proved successful on two occasions in 2016, resulting in a total loss of $158,400. The funds were wired to Umeadi’s bank accounts in the United Kingdom, leaving the produce importer victimized by the fraudulent transaction.
Umeadi was arrested on September 1, 2024, by German authorities upon his arrival from Nigeria. Following his apprehension, he was extradited to the United States to face charges related to his fraudulent activities.
The sentencing for Umeadi is scheduled for July 21, 2025. If convicted, he faces a maximum prison term of 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a supervised release period of up to three years. According to authorities, Umeadi will be removed from the United States upon completing his sentence.
The case is currently being investigated by HSI, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer is leading the prosecution with support from the United States Department of Justice Office of International Affairs.
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