A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted fraudulently obtaining a student visa and admission to the University of Missouri and admitted using the visa to obtain a Social Security card, a driver license, a bank account and an apartment.
Mercy Ojedeji, 24, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of unlawful use of fraudulent immigration documents and one count of wire fraud.
Ojedeji admitted using counterfeit academic transcripts, recommendations, a resume and a report about his English language proficiency to obtain a student visa from the University of Missouri and admission to the chemistry PhD program in the fall of 2023.
Ojedeji also obtained a stipend and a tuition waiver worth more than $49,000.
Ojedeji presented his student visa and other documents to the Social Security Administration to obtain a Social Security card and used the fraudulently-issued Social Security number and other documents to open a bank account.
He also used the Social Security number and documents produced by his paramour to rent an apartment. After Ojedeji failed to attend classes, his assistantship or join a research group, the university terminated him from the graduate program in January 2024.
This also resulted in the termination of his student visa. On February 26, 2024, Ojedeji used his fraudulently-obtained and now invalid visa and other documents to obtain a Missouri driver license.
The investigation into Ojedeji began when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service received complaints that romance fraud victims were mailing packages containing cash and gift cards to the home of Ojedeji’s paramour.
Between December 19, 2023, and January 4, 2024, 35 Express Mail packages that had been tracked by Nigerian internet protocol addresses were delivered to the paramour’s address.
A court-approved search of the home resulted in the discovery of packages sent pursuant to a Nigerian romance fraud scheme. A total of 193 packages were sent to the home through the Postal Services Express Mail, Federal Express, and United Parcel Service during Ojedeji’s relationship with the woman.
At sentencing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will argue that the total intended loss is more than $1 million, based on the $94,150 contained in the 17 packages seized by law enforcement. Ojedeji continues to deny any involvement in romance fraud.
A judge will ultimately determine the loss amount at Ojedeji’s sentencing hearing, scheduled for July 10. Wire fraud carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The immigration charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the same fine.
