U.S. District Judge James L. Robart, has sentenced a Nigerian musician, Onomen Uduebor, aged 39 to three years and four months in the country’s federal prison for his role in a $140,000 tax fraud scheme, reports Business Today NG.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, said Uduebor, also addressed as Onomen Onohi, was convicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
He was extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States in March 2025 after his arrest in September 2023. He pleaded guilty in April 2025.
The statement added that Uduebor participated in a scheme that involved tricking Human Resources departments of companies across the U.S. into releasing W-2 employee tax information. The information was then used to file over 300 fraudulent tax returns claiming more than $1 million in refunds.
Court documents revealed that Uduebor personally filed 150 of the false returns and tracked the refunds, which were paid into accounts opened in the names of the identity theft victims. Although the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intercepted most of the fraudulent claims, approximately $140,000 was paid out, with Uduebor admitting he personally received $10,000.
Judge Robart, who sentenced Uduebor in Seattle, described him as playing a “substantial role” in the scheme, just as he also added that Uduebor “freely participated in the fraud” and should have known better.
Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman said the fraud caused significant harm to companies, employees, and the IRS, with victims suffering financial disruption and emotional stress due to stolen identities and delayed tax refunds.
Uduebor has been ordered to forfeit the $10,000 he earned from the scheme and pay $122,720 in restitution to the IRS, just as he is expected to be deported to Nigeria after serving his jail term.
