Nigerian Man Extradited From South Africa Pleads Guilty To $6m Fraud Scheme In U.S

James Junior Aliyu, a 30-year-old Nigerian man who was living in South Africa at the time of his crimes, has pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering.

James Aliyu was extradited from South Africa to the United States and is the last of three men charged in connection with a business email compromise (BEC) scam to enter a guilty plea.

Eight others linked to the same scheme have already pleaded guilty in separate cases in the District of Maryland.

The announcement was made on August 26, 2025, by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, alongside Evan Campanella, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Baltimore.

Aliyu, along with fellow Nigerians Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, 30, and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, 31, was first indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2019.

Authorities unsealed the indictment in July 2022 after all three men were arrested outside the U.S. and later extradited to face charges.

Court records show that between February and July 2017, Aliyu and his co-conspirators hacked into business and personal email accounts, sending fake wiring instructions from spoofed addresses to trick victims into transferring money into accounts they controlled.

These accounts, known as “drop accounts,” were then used to move or disguise the stolen funds through transfers, cash withdrawals, cashier’s checks, and other transactions designed to conceal the money’s origins.

Prosecutors said the total intended losses tied to Aliyu’s role were over $4.1 million, with actual losses amounting to at least $1.57 million.

Aliyu personally handled more than $1.19 million of the funds they obtained from victims.

Under the terms of his plea deal, Aliyu must forfeit that amount and pay restitution of at least $2.39 million to the victims.

He now faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and sentencing has been set for November 24, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman.

U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the work of HSI’s Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force and thanked South African authorities, including the Department of Justice, National Prosecuting Authority, and Police Service, for their assistance.

She also acknowledged support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Canadian officials, who helped secure the arrests and extraditions of Simon-Ebo and Echefu.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy.

KanyiDaily recalls that an American woman recently called out a young Nigerian man she claims to be her husband, accusing him and his family of orchestrating a romance scam against her.