Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Okwonna, 34, a Nigerian, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to his role in a hacking and business email scam that cost companies more than $5 million.
According to the Department of Justice's press release, along with his prison sentence, Okwonna was ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution.
Okwonna was not working alone. His co-defendant, Ebuka Raphael Umeti, 35, was previously sentenced to ten years in prison for his involvement in the same scam.
A federal jury convicted Umeti of several charges, including wire fraud and conspiracy to damage protected computers.
Like Okwonna, Umeti is required to pay nearly $5 million in restitution to the scam victims.
Between 2016 and 2021, Okwonna, Umeti, and their co-conspirators carried out a highly organized hacking scheme known as a Business Email Compromise (BEC).
They sent phishing emails to businesses, tricking employees into believing they were receiving messages from legitimate sources such as banks or business partners.
When the victims clicked on attachments in the emails, their computers became infected with malware.
This software granted the hackers access to the victims' email accounts and sensitive data, allowing them to pose as legitimate business contacts.
Using this access, the hackers duped the companies into sending money to accounts they controlled.
Their scheme was extremely successful, resulting in over $5 million in losses for businesses in the United States and other countries.
The FBI's Washington Field Office led a global investigation into this case, which resulted in justice.
Investigation revealed that the hackers gained access to protected computers using sophisticated phishing and malware attacks.
The Justice Department collaborated closely with law enforcement agencies in the United States and abroad, including Kenya's Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Okwonna and Umeti were extradited from Kenya to stand trial in the United States.
Okwonna's sentence came after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Umeti chose to fight the charges and was convicted in a federal trial, receiving a much longer sentence of ten years.
Both men will serve years in prison and must return nearly all of the money they stole from their victims.