A 24-year-old Nigerian student, Mercy Ojedeji, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and immigration-related offenses in the United States, marking the latest in a series of high-profile fraud cases involving international students.
Ojedeji entered his guilty plea in a U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Missouri, as confirmed by a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri on April 10.
According to court documents, Ojedeji gained admission into the University of Missouri’s PhD program in chemistry for the Fall 2023 semester using falsified academic transcripts, fake recommendation letters, a forged resume, and a counterfeit English proficiency test result. These fraudulent documents were also used to obtain a U.S. student visa.
Once in the U.S., Ojedeji was issued a Social Security card, Missouri driver’s license, housing, a bank account, and a university package that included a stipend and tuition waiver worth over $49,000.
However, he reportedly failed to attend classes or participate in any academic activities, leading to his dismissal from the program in January 2024 and subsequent termination of his visa.
Despite this, investigators say Ojedeji used his invalid visa to secure a new state-issued driver’s license in February 2024.
Things took a more serious turn when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began investigating reports of a romance scam.
Authorities discovered that victims had sent multiple packages containing cash and gift cards to the residence of Ojedeji’s partner.
A deeper investigation revealed a trail of 35 Express Mail packages—sent between December 19, 2023, and January 4, 2024—traced to Nigerian IP addresses.
Further searches at the partner’s home uncovered 193 packages linked to an ongoing Nigerian romance scam.
Of those, 17 contained $94,150 in cash and gift cards. Prosecutors estimate that the intended loss from the fraud exceeds $1 million.
Although Ojedeji admitted to visa and wire fraud, he denies any direct involvement in the romance scam.
He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the wire fraud charge. The immigration fraud could add another 10 years and a similar fine. His sentencing is set for July 10.
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