A 35-year-old Nigerian man, Lotenna Chisom Umeadi, has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud after being extradited from Germany to the United States.
The announcement came on Thursday, March 20, from U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Field Office.
Umeadi admitted to buying a hacked webpage that allowed him to steal email passwords. He used these credentials to infiltrate email accounts belonging to employees of a Sri Lankan produce exporter.
Posing as the company, Umeadi sent fraudulent emails to a produce importer in Plattsburgh, New York, instructing them to redirect payments to bank accounts in the United Kingdom — accounts he controlled. This scheme resulted in the victim wiring $158,400 in two separate transfers in 2016.
German authorities arrested Umeadi on September 1, 2024, upon his arrival from Nigeria. He was later extradited to the U.S. to face charges.
Umeadi’s sentencing is set for July 21, 2025. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Following his prison term, he will be deported.
HSI is leading the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer is handling the prosecution with support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
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