US Court Jails Nigerian Man 8years for Fraud, Orders $14m Restitution and Forfeiture
A Nigerian man, identified as CHUKWUEMEKA VICTOR AMACHUKWU, has been jailed for eight years in the United States for his role in multiple fraud, hacking, and identity theft offenses, involving the theft of over Seven Million US Dollars.
Forty-year-old CHUKWUEMEKA AMACHUKWU, is also to serve additional one year of supervised release, as well as to pay restitution of over Three-Point-Six Million Dollars and the forfeiture of property valued at over Ten-Point-Eight Million Dollars.
CHUKWUEMEKA VICTOR AMACHUKWU, also known by the alias “So Kwan Leung” and “Chukwuemeka Victor Eletuo,” was arrested in France and extradited to the United States on August 4, 2025, to face multiple federal charges in the Southern District of New York.
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, JAMIE MCDONALD, announced the sentencing of AMACHUKWU by District Judge PAUL G. GARDEPHE, who was uncovered in an operation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI.
JAMIE MCDONALD disclosed in a statement that AMACHUKWU previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, noting that he believed he was operating safely offshore when he targeted his victims, beginning sometime around 2019.
MCDONALD said AMACHUKWU worked with a co-conspirator, identified as KINGLSEY UCHELUE UTULU, and others in Nigeria to hack into U.S-based tax preparation businesses, using spear-phishing emails to obtain access to electronic systems of businesses located in New York, Texas, and other states, which they used to steal tax and personal information of approximately eight hundred customers.
A statement by the Office of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York noted that: “The conspirators obtained the stolen identity information of thousands of individuals. They used this information to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities.”
It further noted that “The conspirators sought fraudulent refunds of at least approximately $8.4 million, of which they successfully obtained at least approximately $2.5 million.
“In addition to filing fraudulent tax returns, the conspirators used the stolen identities to file fraudulent claims with the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. The conspirators were able to obtain at least an additional approximately $819,000 in fraudulent pay-outs.
“In addition, AMACHUKWU took part in a fraud scheme in which he offered U.S. victims investments in purportedly valuable standby letters of credit. In the course of this scheme, AMACHUKWU impersonated a wealthy overseas financier in order to fool his victims. In reality, these investments did not exist, and AMACHUKWU and his co-conspirators were able to pocket more than $7 million in fraudulent proceeds.
“In addition to the prison term, AMACHUKWU, 40, of Nigeria, was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in an amount of $3,647,629.39 and forfeiture in the amount of $10,846,634.39.”