24-Year-Old Nigerian, Mercy Ojedeji, Nabbed By FBI Over Forged Academic Transcripts To Claim $49,000 Tuition Waiver

Mercy Ojedeji, a Nigerian, was detained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after forging academic transcripts to gain admission to the University of Missouri in St Louis County and receive a $49,000 tuition waiver, stipends, and other benefits.

Investigations revealed that Mr Ojedeji, 24, fabricated his transcripts, resume, letters of recommendation, and an English Language competence report to improve his candidacy for a PhD program in Chemistry.

Mr Ojedeji began skipping courses after being admitted in the Autumn of 2023 and established a bank account using fake credentials. He also failed to fulfill his assistantship duties or join a research group, which resulted in his dismissal from the school in February 2024 and the termination of his student visa.

He originally came to the FBI’s attention when a slew of complaints from romance scam victims led them to his girlfriend’s house, which was used to receive cash and gift cards.

FBI officials traced 35 Express Mail parcels delivered to the location within two weeks, from December 19, 2023, and January 4, 2024.

READ ALSO: 42-Year-Old Nigerian Man Bagged 2 Years Prison Sentence In US Over $300k Romance Scam

The court issued a search warrant for the residence. Agents discovered that “a total of 193 packages were sent to the home through the Postal Services Express Mail, Federal Express, and United Parcel Service during Ojedeji’s relationship with the woman,” according to a statement released by the US Attorney’s Office on Thursday, April 10.

Mr. Ojedeji pleaded guilty to using fraudulent immigration documents and wire fraud in the United States District Court in St. Louis, with prosecutors claiming that his intended swindle totaled $1 million.

Nigerian nationals face a 20-year prison sentence. You can read the full details from the original source, here

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