Nigerian Artist Chinedu Opute Indicted in $500K Email Scam Targeting Ohio City
PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio — A Nigerian national living in Georgia has been federally indicted after allegedly defrauding the City of Parma Heights out of over $500,000 through a sophisticated email phishing scam.
Chinedu Opute, also known by his stage name NPZ, was arrested in late April 2025 after investigators traced a fraudulent wire transfer back to him. According to Parma Heights police, the scam occurred in June 2023, when a city employee’s email was hacked, and a fake invoice for $504,576.01 was submitted, impersonating a legitimate contractor.
The city unknowingly wired the money to a fraudulent bank account. When a second suspicious invoice arrived days later, bank security staff became suspicious and alerted authorities. An investigation involving multiple federal and local agencies revealed that Opute had allegedly been conducting “email takeover” scams in various cities.
“This was a targeted, high-level phishing operation,” said Detective Sergeant Eric Taylor. “People need to stay vigilant — if anything seems slightly off in an email, pick up the phone and confirm it.”
Parma Heights officials say the city was able to recoup some of the lost funds through cybersecurity insurance and have since implemented enhanced security protocols and employee training.
On May 1, 2025, Opute was indicted in federal court on charges including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Bridget Brennan has ordered that he be transported to Cleveland to face arraignment.
Authorities are reminding municipalities and businesses to take phishing threats seriously and to double-check payment processes to prevent similar breaches.
