Okeoghene Patrick Udugba, 45, of Frisco, Texas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, according to an announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on July 22.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Udugba and others orchestrated overlapping romance and business email compromise schemes. The indictment states that Udugba and his co-conspirators used social media and dating websites to establish purported romantic relationships with individuals in multiple states. These individuals were then groomed and used as money mules to receive and cash fraudulently obtained checks.
To obtain these checks, members of the conspiracy allegedly sent emails from spoofed addresses in Nigeria, posing as representatives of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The emails directed that FWS grant funds be used to pay fabricated invoices falsely representing that the money mules were contractors or consultants who had performed work on grant-eligible projects. As a result of these fraudulent communications, FWS’s grant administrator issued payments exceeding $300,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Department of Interior Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting it. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159. The task force aims to eliminate criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling rings operating in the United States or abroad; it includes agents from several federal agencies with prosecution led by this office.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced creation of its National Fraud Enforcement Division focused on investigating those who commit fraud against Americans—a move supporting President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 30 years imprisonment plus supervised release following imprisonment and a fine; sentencing will be determined by a judge after consideration under applicable statutes and guidelines. Indictments are only allegations—those charged are presumed innocent unless found guilty in court.
The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania operates under the Department of Justice serving about 3.2 million residents across approximately 21,907 square miles through facilities including Harrisburg, Scranton, Williamsport and Wilkes-Barre; its responsibilities include prosecuting federal crimes as well as offering victim assistance programs, according to its official website.