*Complained not satisfied with E-1 active-duty base pay of $2,407.20 per month, military retirement pension and healthcare coverage after completing 20 years of active service
*Culprits divert funds in wire transfers into conspirator-controlled bank accounts, including $1.68 million from an Iowa City victim and $720,000 from an Ohio victim
*Use phishing campaigns, spoofed emails, and stolen employee email credentials, to intercept communications with businesses to redirect payments; clones hundreds of credit card details from a nonprofit in Pella, Iowa
*Conviction: Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu, 25-year-old, sentenced to 111 months in prison, ordered to pay $366,617.59 in restitution, and given a 3-year term of supervised release, Harafat Mogaji, 26-year-old, sentenced to 78 months in prison, ordered to pay $995,680.45 in restitution, and given a 3-year term of supervised release
*BY WOLUMAT HALIMAT NURENI/MILITARY CORRESPONDENT, NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER INC USA, IOWA
THEY migrated to the United States, U.S., from Nigeria in the search of greener pasture over a decade ago. Their aims were to work hard and live a better life. Upon arrival in ‘Uncle Sam country’, nothing seems to work out as they kept squatting with African friends they met. They were legal residents of Iowa. After some time, they made inquiries, enlisted in U.S. Air Force as Airmen through which they got their Green Cards and later became Naturalized American citizens. As E-1 active-duty officers, Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu (25) and Harafat Mogaji (26) were placed on benefits like monthly base pay of $2,407.20 per month, health insurance, Education and Training; Paid Leave Vacation of 30 days Annually, Travel, and Recreation, and many other benefits. They were not satisfied.
As time gets by, these Nigerian born who served in the U.S. Air Force were not satisfied with their take-home monthly, as their highest priority was to build massive mansions in Nigeria, while they intend to go into real-estate business of buying up landed properties in VIP areas of Lagos State, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano States.
The burning desire for short-cuts into the world of riches, so their names could be blend into high praise of songs from musicians whenever they visit Nigeria to show they have arrived, led Chijioke and Mogaji to incorporate themselves into a wider criminal network whose specialties are hacking, money laundering, identity and mail fraud; while still serving then as Airmen in the U.S. Air Force.
Benefits as Airmen:
Pay and Financial Allowances:
*Base Salary: Determined by military rank and years of service (for example, entry-level E-1 active-duty base pay starts around $2,407.20 per month).
* Housing and Food Allowances: Free on-base housing and food (or tax-free monthly stipends if living off-base).
*Thrift Savings Plan (TSP): A government-sponsored retirement savings and investment plan similar to a civilian 401(k).
* VA Home Loans: Eligibility for home loans featuring zero down payment requirements and no private mortgage insurance (PMI)
*Health and Insurance:
*Medical and Dental Care: Low-cost or no-cost healthcare and dental coverage at military or approved civilian facilities, with full pay during sick days.
* Life Insurance: Low-cost Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) protection
*Education and Training:
*Tuition Assistance: Up to 100% tuition coverage for higher education while serving.
*GI Bills: Post-9/11 GI Bill and Montgomery GI Bill benefits to pay for college or training (which can often be transferred to eligible dependents).
* Loan Repayment & Credits: Student loan repayment options and college credits earned during basic training and technical school
*Vacation, Travel, and Recreation:
*Paid Leave: 30 days of paid vacation annually
*Space-Available Travel: Access to space-available flights on military aircraft and reduced-cost base lodging or military resorts (such as the Hale Koa Hotel in Hawaii or Edelweiss Lodge in Germany)
*Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR): On-base access to fitness centers, pools, and recreational programs, alongside tax-free shopping at military commissaries and exchanges.
Retirement:
*Pension Eligibility: Eligibility for a military retirement pension and healthcare coverage after completing 20 years of active service (or via the Blended Retirement System)
Their sins found them out. They were court, tried and found guilty. These two Nigerian former Airmen were Dishonorably Discharged being the most severe punitive discharge for enlisted personnel, reserved for serious offenses (equivalent to civilian felonies). Major fraud against the government frequently carries a maximum penalty that includes dishonorably discharge.
They pleaded guilty to the crimes, blamed the Devil for the greed and temptation of living a luxurious lifestyle overnight to their downfall.
Odimegwu and Mogaji, were sentenced on September 25 to a combined 189 months in federal prison for their roles in a $2.4 million cyber fraud scheme.
The Amount: They diverted over $2.4 million in wire transfers from victims into conspirator-controlled bank accounts, including $1.68 million from an Iowa City victim and $720,000 from an Ohio victim.
The Method: Using phishing campaigns, spoofed emails, and stolen employee email credentials, the pair intercepted communications with business and nonprofit partners to redirect payments. They also stole credit card details from a nonprofit in Pella, Iowa.
*Sentences and Restitution:
*Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu: Sentenced to 111 months in prison, ordered to pay $366,617.59 in restitution, and given a 3-year term of supervised release.
*Harafat Mogaji: Sentenced to 78 months in prison, ordered to pay $995,680.45 in restitution, and given a 3-year term of supervised release.
The two men were found to have targeted businesses and nonprofits across the United States. They used stolen credit card information and phishing emails to redirect funds and payments into accounts controlled by their network.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
*Additional reports by #DWAfrica
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