00000000gfrfA 24-year-old Nigerian man, Mercy Ojedeji, has pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court to charges of wire fraud and using fake immigration documents. He admitted to submitting false academic credentials to gain admission into a PhD program at the University of Missouri.
According to court documents, Ojedeji used forged transcripts, recommendation letters, a fake resume, and a false English test report to obtain a U.S. student visa. After entering the country, he used the visa to get a Social Security card, a Missouri driver’s license, open a bank account, and receive over $49,000 in student benefits.
Despite enrolling in the university, Ojedeji did not attend any classes or participate in research. He was dismissed from the program in January 2024, and his visa was cancelled. However, he still used the invalid visa to apply for a driver’s license in February 2024.
Investigators later discovered that multiple packages had been sent to his partner’s address as part of an ongoing romance scam. Victims across the U.S. were tricked into mailing cash and gift cards. Authorities linked 35 packages, sent between December 2023 and January 2024, to IP addresses in Nigeria. A search uncovered 193 packages in total, including 17 that held $94,150 in cash and gift cards. Prosecutors believe the total intended fraud exceeded $1 million.
While Ojedeji denies any role in the romance scam itself, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for wire fraud, and up to 10 years and another $250,000 fine for immigration fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for July 10.
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