Crime

Nigerian man pleads guilty to online fraud schemes, scamming Mass. residents

Happy Chukwuma, a Nigerian man who engaged with co-conspirators in several online fraud schemes, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.

A man surrounded by darkness is illuminated by his laptop.
Happy Chukwuma pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy April 10 after years of phishing and scamming Massachusetts residents.
Stock Photo

By Eli Curwin

1 minute to read

A 30-year-old Nigerian man, who engaged with co-conspirators in several online fraud schemes, including “phishing” and romance scams, pleaded guilty April 10 to one count of wire fraud conspiracy.

According to a press release from United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Rachael Rollins, between 2015 and 2019, Happy Chukwuma and his co-conspirators engaged in several financial transactions involving personally identifiable information, including financial documents, from several Massachusetts residents.

Chukwuma was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2019 and was arrested and detained in the United Kingdom in September 2022. He was extradited to the United States in March 2023.

After pleading guilty, U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock set Chukwuma’s sentencing for May 5. The sentence for wire fraud conspiracy, imposed by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes, provides 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

Advertisement:

The Department of Justice says that Chukwuma and his co-conspirators engaged in phishing schemes and romantic scams, creating fake websites and romantic interests to coerce people into providing personal and financial information.

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com