A Nigerian man has been sentenced in the United States after pleading guilty to fraud and identity-related offences involving false documents and employment deception.
A Nigerian man, Atuchukwu Markrufus Onyeanusi, has been sentenced in the United States after being convicted of fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents tied to a false identity used to secure employment.
According to Vanguard, United States Attorney Ron Parsons confirmed that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler delivered the sentence on May 20, 2026.
Onyeanusi, 32, was sentenced to time served—just under six months in custody—followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Court records show he was indicted in December 2025 on charges including Fraud and Misuse of Visas, False, Fictitious, Fraudulent Document or Writing, and Aggravated Identity Theft. He pleaded guilty in February 2026.
Prosecutors said Onyeanusi, a lawful permanent resident, was arrested in Oklahoma after a traffic stop revealed multiple fraudulent documents in his possession.
He was found with a Texas commercial driver’s licence bearing his photograph but another person’s name, alongside an employer identification card linked to the Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board, where he allegedly worked as a “Cyber Threat Analyst.”
Investigators said he used the fake identity and a fraudulent Social Security card to obtain employment and also falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on immigration forms.
Authorities said the case forms part of Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative targeting immigration-related crime and transnational networks.
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