A Nigerian national, Kingsley Utulu, has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison for orchestrating a sophisticated hacking and identity theft operation that defrauded United States tax authorities and private citizens of more than $2.5 million.

The sentencing announcement came from Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, alongside Christopher Raia, the Assistant Director in charge of the FBI's New York Field Office.

The 38-year-old Nigerian was convicted of aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud following his extradition from the United Kingdom to face trial in the United States.

Sophisticated Cyber Fraud Operation

According to court documents, Utulu participated in an elaborate scheme that involved hacking into U.S. tax preparation businesses, trading stolen personal identifying information, and defrauding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other governmental bodies.

In his statement, Clayton emphasized the serious nature of the crime: "Kingsley Uchelue Utulu took part in a scheme to hack into the U.S. tax preparation businesses, trade in the stolen personal identifying information, and defraud the IRS and other governmental bodies."

"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," Clayton added.

Financial Penalties and Restitution

In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Utulu to pay restitution amounting to $3,683,029.39 and to forfeit $290,250, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the financial damage caused to victims.

The FBI's representative emphasized their commitment to pursuing cybercriminals regardless of their location: "The FBI will never exempt any individual who seeks to unlawfully profit through deceitful practices, regardless of where they are located."

Part of a Concerning Trend

BenriNews reports that this case follows the recent convictions of two other Nigerian nationals, Abel Daramola and Olutayo Ogunlaja, who were found guilty of running a $560,000 international romance scam. They now face potential sentences of up to 20 years in a United States federal prison.

These cases highlight the growing concern over international cybercrime operations targeting U.S. citizens and institutions, and the increasing cooperation between international law enforcement agencies to combat such crimes.

The successful prosecution of Utulu demonstrates the reach of U.S. law enforcement in pursuing cybercriminals across international borders, sending a strong message to others involved in similar schemes.

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