A Nigerian-American, Omoyoma Okoro, currently serving 100 months in prison for his role in an $80 million fraud scheme, now faces an additional 30 years in prison for allegedly obtaining U.S. citizenship through fraud, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Okoro was sentenced in September 2024 after being convicted of conspiracy to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud by a U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. His convictions also include two counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of bank fraud. He was ordered to pay over $22 million in restitution.
The offenses for which Okoro was convicted occurred between 2008 and 2011, prior to his application for naturalization. In 2018, when applying for U.S. citizenship, Okoro was asked if he had ever committed or assisted in any crimes. He denied this under penalty of perjury.
Since Okoro naturalized in 2018 before being arrested, immigration officials were unaware of his prior crimes. The indictment alleges he made knowingly false statements on his naturalization application, including denying involvement in any crime for which he had not been arrested.
If convicted of naturalization fraud, Okoro faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and the automatic revocation of his U.S. citizenship.
The Department of Justice’s statement also referenced a recent unrelated case involving Kingsley Utulu, another Nigerian sentenced to over five years for a tax fraud and identity theft scheme targeting the IRS and tax preparation businesses.
