In an era where cybercrime knows no borders, a sophisticated email fraud scheme has resulted in the conviction of a Nigerian national who orchestrated one of the most brazen charity thefts in recent memory. Olusegun Samson Adejorin, 32, faces decades in federal prison after a jury in Greenbelt, Maryland found him guilty of diverting over $7.5 million from charitable organizations through an elaborate digital deception.
The conviction, announced Thursday by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes following a six-day trial that concluded December 18, 2025, exposes the alarming sophistication of modern financial fraud and the international cooperation required to combat it.
A Web of Digital Deception
Between June and August 2020, Adejorin executed a scheme that combined technical prowess with psychological manipulation. His targets were a Maryland investment services charity and a New York charitable organization—institutions dedicated to helping others, making them particularly vulnerable to an attack that exploited trust.
The mechanics of Adejorin’s fraud were disturbingly sophisticated. He registered spoofed domain names designed to impersonate employees from the New York organization, creating email addresses nearly identical to legitimate ones. Using these fake identities, he sent fraudulent withdrawal requests to the Maryland firm, requesting transfers of charitable funds.
But Adejorin didn’t stop there. To create a complete illusion of legitimacy, he simultaneously used stolen credentials from Maryland employees to send false confirmations of these withdrawal requests. To anyone reviewing the communications, everything appeared proper—requests from New York, confirmations from Maryland. The result? More than $7.5 million transferred not to the intended New York charity, but to accounts under Adejorin’s control.
Technical Sophistication
Evidence presented at trial revealed the extent of Adejorin’s technical capabilities. He purchased a credential harvesting tool specifically designed to steal email login credentials, giving him access to victim accounts. Once inside, he didn’t simply send fraudulent emails and hope for the best. Instead, he concealed his communications by moving them to inconspicuous locations within victim mailboxes, hiding the evidence of his scheme from legitimate account holders.
Withdrawals exceeding $10,000 required approval from authorized individuals—a security measure designed to prevent exactly this type of fraud. Adejorin circumvented this protection by compromising the email accounts of those authorized approvers, effectively controlling both sides of the verification process.
International Manhunt and Cooperation
Adejorin’s scheme may have been digital, but justice required old-fashioned police work across continents. After the fraud was discovered, the FBI Baltimore Field Office led an investigation that eventually tracked Adejorin to Ghana. On December 29, 2023, Ghanaian authorities arrested him, beginning an extradition process that involved multiple international agencies.
The FBI Legal Attaché in Accra coordinated with Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office, the Office of Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Services, and National Intelligence Bureau. After months of legal proceedings, Adejorin arrived in the United States on August 30, 2024 to face charges.
This international cooperation demonstrates both the global nature of cybercrime and the increasing effectiveness of cross-border law enforcement partnerships.
Severe Consequences Ahead
The jury convicted Adejorin on multiple counts including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access to a protected computer. The penalties reflect the seriousness of his crimes: he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of five wire fraud counts, five years for unauthorized computer access, and a mandatory two consecutive years for aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2026. While federal sentencing guidelines typically result in actual sentences below maximum penalties, Adejorin likely faces significant prison time.