Nigerian National Sentenced to 95 Months for Laundering $3.1 Million in Scam Proceeds
A Nigerian national has been sentenced to 95 months in U.S. federal prison for leading a money laundering conspiracy that moved more than US$3.1 million in proceeds from business email compromise, romance scams and unemployment insurance fraud.
The U.S. Department of Justice said on August 28, 2026 that Oluwasegun Baiyewu, 40, of Houston, Texas, worked with at least six co-conspirators in the United States and Nigeria between approximately May 2020 and October 2021.
Used cars were used to move illicit value
According to court documents, the group used fraud proceeds to buy used and salvaged vehicles in the United States and then exported the vehicles to West Africa. Baiyewu and his co-conspirators coordinated the receipt and use of illicit funds through encrypted messaging applications, including WhatsApp.
In one example described by DOJ, a Puerto Rican renewable-energy company was deceived in a business email compromise scheme and wired approximately US$280,000 to bank accounts controlled by fraudsters and money launderers. Baiyewu then worked with co-conspirators to apply those funds toward vehicle purchases in the United States and arrange for the vehicles to be exported to Nigeria for the benefit of the group.
A federal jury convicted Baiyewu in August 2025 of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. His 95-month sentence was imposed on August 27, 2026.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the FBI San Juan Cyber Task Force, with assistance from the National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force.
The case illustrates how trade in physical goods can be used to convert scam proceeds into transferable value across borders, creating a laundering pathway that extends beyond direct bank transfers.
