A 45-year-old Nigerian national, Okeoghene Patrick Udugba, has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a romance scam and business email fraud scheme that defrauded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) of more than $300,000. The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the indictment in a press release issued by the Department of Justice on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
Charges and Allegations
According to the statement, Udugba, who resides in Frisco, Texas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of Money Laundering and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Mail Fraud. United States Attorney Brian D. Miller stated that the indictment alleges Udugba and others orchestrated overlapping romance and business email compromise schemes.
As part of the scheme, Udugba and his co-conspirators used social media and dating websites to meet and establish purported romantic relationships with individuals in multiple states. These individuals were groomed and ultimately used as money mules to receive and cash fraudulently obtained checks.
How the Fraud Worked
To obtain the checks, members of the conspiracy sent emails from spoofed addresses in Nigeria, claiming to be representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The spoofed emails directed that FWS grant funds be used to pay fabricated invoices, which falsely represented that the money mules were contractors and consultants of FWS who had performed work on grant-eligible projects.
As a result of the fraudulent emails and invoices, FWS's grant administrator issued payments in excess of $300,000. The scheme involved sophisticated deception, leveraging both romantic relationships and business impersonation to siphon government funds.
Investigation and Prosecution
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 the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.
Potential Penalties
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
