A Nigerian man, Onomen Uduebor, also known as Onomen Onohi, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison in the United States for his role in a major tax fraud conspiracy involving over 300 fake tax returns.
The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Uduebor, was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2023 and extradited to the U.S. in March 2025, where he later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
In a remorseful courtroom statement, Uduebor said:
“I have read the victim impact statements, and I know an apology is not enough… I was desperate to succeed in my music career. It is not an excuse, but it is the truth.”
Between February 2016 and April 2017, Uduebor and his accomplices created fake email addresses posing as HR executives. They tricked companies into releasing employee W-2 tax forms, which were then used to file false tax returns, seeking over $1 million in refunds from the IRS.
Uduebor personally filed about 150 of those returns, tracking the refund payments to fake bank accounts opened in victims’ names. Although the IRS blocked most payments, around $140,000 was still paid out, and Uduebor admitted receiving $10,000 from the scam.
He was ordered to forfeit the $10,000 and pay $122,720 in restitution to the U.S. Treasury.
During sentencing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted the gravity of the crime, stating:
“He freely participated in the fraud and had a substantial role in the scheme. Thirty years old is not a young man, and he ought to have known better.”
After serving his sentence, Uduebor is expected to be deported back to Nigeria.
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