Nigerian Musician Jailed in the US For $140,000 Tax Fraud, Faces Deportation

A Nigerian musician, Onomen Uduebor (also known as Onomen Onohi), has been sentenced to 40 months (3 years and 4 months) in a U.S. federal prison for his involvement in a $140,000 tax refund fraud scheme.

Uduebor, 39, was part of a conspiracy that used stolen employee tax data to file fraudulent tax returns and claim refunds from the IRS.

Between 2016 and 2017, he and co-conspirators sent fake emails impersonating company executives to Human Resources departments across the United States, tricking them into providing W-2 wage and tax forms containing employees’ personal information.

When HR staff resisted, the fraudsters would escalate by posing as CEOs to pressure compliance.

Using the stolen data, the group filed over 300 bogus tax returns, claiming more than $1 million in refunds.

Uduebor admitted filing 150 of these false returns and tracking the refunds to bank accounts set up in victims’ names.

Although the IRS paid about $140,000 to the fraudsters, Uduebor personally received only $10,000.

The IRS recovered some funds, and Uduebor was ordered to pay $122,720 in restitution to the IRS and forfeit the $10,000 he earned.

Uduebor was arrested in the United Kingdom in September 2023 and extradited to the U.S. in March 2025.

He pleaded guilty in April 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

At sentencing in Seattle, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart condemned Uduebor’s actions, noting his substantial role and stating, “Thirty years old is not a young man and he ought to have known better.”

The judge emphasized that Uduebor freely participated in the fraud.

In court, Uduebor expressed remorse, explaining his motivation stemmed from desperation to succeed in his music career, saying, “I have read the victim impact statements and I know an apology is not enough…. I was desperate to succeed in my music career. It is not an excuse, but it is the truth.”

This case highlights the serious consequences of identity theft and tax fraud schemes and the U.S. government’s commitment to prosecuting such crimes.