A Nigerian man has admitted to defrauding a US university and misusing immigration documents to enter the country.
The 24-year-old, Mercy Ojedeji, pleaded guilty before a federal court in St. Louis, Missouri, after authorities uncovered a series of fake documents he used to secure a student visa.
Ojedeji was able to gain admission into the University of Missouri’s chemistry PhD program in the fall of 2023. He used fake academic transcripts, recommendation letters, a false resume, and a forged English language proficiency report to back up his application. The fraudulent documents led to his visa approval and opened the door to a range of benefits.
Once in the US, he received a Social Security card, a driver’s license from Missouri, opened a bank account, secured housing, and was granted a tuition waiver along with a monthly stipend. The total value of these benefits reached over $49,000. However, he did not attend classes or participate in the required research work, leading to his removal from the program by January 2024.
Even after being dismissed and losing his student visa, Ojedeji reportedly used the invalid visa to obtain a new driver’s license in late February. This move attracted further attention from federal investigators.
The case took a more serious turn when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began investigating complaints linked to a romance scam. Victims had been sending large packages of cash and gift cards to the residence of Ojedeji’s partner. Authorities traced 35 of these packages, sent between December 2023 and January 2024, to Nigerian IP addresses. A court-approved search of the property revealed 193 packages in total, with 17 of them containing around $94,150 in cash and gift cards.
Although prosecutors believe the total intended loss from the scam exceeds $1 million, Ojedeji has denied any involvement in the romance fraud. Still, he faces serious consequences. His guilty plea covers charges of wire fraud and immigration document fraud. The wire fraud charge alone could bring up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while the immigration offense adds the possibility of another 10 years and a similar fine.
His sentencing is set for July 10, when the judge will decide on the final penalties and the exact losses linked to his actions.