Alexander M.M. Uballez U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico
A New York resident has been sentenced in a federal court for his involvement in a scheme that defrauded Bernalillo County of over $447,000. The sentencing took place today in Albuquerque.
Oscar Kipikirui Ngeno, originally from Kenya and now a naturalized U.S. citizen, was implicated in a business email compromise operation targeting the government of Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Between October and December 2019, while living in New York on an immigrant visa, Ngeno permitted others to access his bank account for fraudulent transactions.
The fraud involved sending a spoofed email to Bernalillo County under the guise of a legitimate vendor. This email contained falsified payment details and included a phone number controlled by Ngeno. Consequently, the county transferred $447,372.89 into Ngeno's account over several months.
Ngeno became aware of the illicit nature of these transactions and the criminal origins of the funds deposited into his account. On November 6, 2019, he used approximately $13,090.82 from these funds to settle a personal vehicle loan with Capital One Auto.
On November 15, 2024, Ngeno pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and admitted his role in the scheme. He received a sentence of three years probation and was ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to Bernalillo County.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin along with Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from its Buffalo Field Office, Rochester Resident Agency, Richmond FBI Field Office as well as the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is handling prosecution duties for this case.
