US court convicts Nigerian hacker for $2.5m identity theft

A United States court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Kingsley Uchelue Utulu, to five years and three months in prison for his role in a massive identity theft and wire fraud scheme that defrauded U.S. tax authorities and citizens of more than $2.5 million.

The sentencing was announced over the weekend by Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, alongside FBI New York Field Office Assistant Director Christopher Raia.

Utulu, 38, was convicted of aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Authorities said he participated in a sophisticated scheme that involved hacking into U.S. tax preparation businesses, stealing personal identifying information, and using it to file fraudulent tax returns.

“Kingsley Uchelue Utulu took part in a scheme to hack into U.S. tax preparation businesses, trade in the stolen personal identifying information, and defraud the IRS and other governmental bodies,” Clayton stated.

“Offshore scammers like Utulu and his co-conspirators may think they can target hard-working Americans with their hacking and fraud schemes and avoid prosecution. The FBI will never exempt any individual who seeks to unlawfully profit through deceitful practices, regardless of where they are located,” he added.

Utulu was arrested in the United Kingdom and later extradited to the U.S. to face trial.

In addition to his prison term, the court ordered Utulu to pay restitution of $3,683,029.39 and forfeit $290,250.

This development comes on the heels of the recent convictions of two other Nigerians, Abel Daramola and Olutayo Ogunlaja, who were found guilty of operating a $560,000 international romance scam. They face up to 20 years in U.S. federal prison.