A 24-year-old Nigerian man, Mercy Ojedeji, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and the unlawful use of fraudulent immigration documents to gain admission into a U.S. university. According to a statement released on April 10 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, Ojedeji admitted in court on April 9 to fraudulently obtaining a student visa and securing admission into the University of Missouri’s chemistry PhD program for Fall 2023. He confessed to using forged academic transcripts, falsified recommendation letters, a fake résumé, and a fabricated English proficiency report to support his visa application. With the student visa, Ojedeji obtained a Social Security number, a Missouri driver’s license, opened a bank account, secured housing, and received a stipend and tuition waiver from the university worth more than $49,000. However, after failing to attend classes or engage in research, Ojedeji was dismissed from the program in January 2024, leading to the cancellation of his student visa. Despite this, authorities say he used the now-invalid visa to acquire a Missouri state driver’s license on February 26, 2024. The case came under investigation after the U.S. Postal Inspection Service received reports of romance fraud victims sending cash and gift cards to the address of Ojedeji’s partner. Investigators linked 35 Express Mail packages—sent between December 19, 2023, and January 4, 2024—to Nigerian IP addresses. Ojedeji faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for wire fraud, with the immigration fraud charge potentially adding another 10 years and a similar fine. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge. “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,” the statement reads. Authorities recovered $94,150 in cash and gift cards from 17 of the seized packages, though prosecutors estimate the total intended loss exceeds $1 million. Although Ojedeji has admitted to charges of immigration and wire fraud, he denies any involvement in the romance scam. His sentencing is set for July 10.