A 40-year-old Nigerian man, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, has been sentenced to eight years in prison in the United States for his involvement in hacking, identity theft and multimillion-dollar fraud schemes targeting American businesses and individuals.
The sentence was announced on October 19, 2026, by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Amachukwu, who is also known as Chukwuemeka Victor Eletuo and So Kwan Leung, was sentenced by US District Judge Paul G. Gardephe after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, Amachukwu, his co-conspirator Kingsley Uchelue Utulu and other associates began targeting US tax preparation businesses in or around 2019. The group reportedly used spear-phishing emails to gain unauthorised access to the electronic systems of tax preparation companies operating in New York, Texas and other states.
After accessing the systems, the conspirators stole tax records and personal information belonging to customers. Prosecutors said the hacking scheme affected approximately 800 customers at the identified businesses, while stolen identity information belonging to thousands of individuals was used in fraudulent activities.
The stolen information was subsequently used to submit fraudulent tax returns to the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and state tax authorities.
Prosecutors said the conspirators attempted to obtain approximately $8.4 million in fraudulent tax refunds, successfully collecting at least $2.5 million. The group also used stolen identities to submit fraudulent applications to the US Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan programme, obtaining an additional $819,000 in illicit payments.
Beyond the tax-related scheme, Amachukwu participated in a separate investment fraud operation. According to prosecutors, he impersonated a wealthy overseas financier and offered victims investments in supposedly valuable standby letters of credit that did not exist.
The scheme generated more than $7 million in fraudulent proceeds for Amachukwu and his associates.
Amachukwu was arrested in France at the request of US authorities and extradited to the United States in August 2025 to face charges relating to hacking, fraud and identity theft.
Following his guilty pleas, the court imposed an eight-year prison sentence. He was also sentenced to one year of supervised release after imprisonment. In addition, the court ordered him to pay $3.64 million in restitution and forfeit approximately $10.85 million linked to the offences, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
The case highlights the ability of US law enforcement agencies to investigate cybercrime that crosses international borders.
US Attorney Jamie McDonald said Amachukwu had targeted American businesses while believing he could operate safely from overseas, but was ultimately held accountable. The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and international law enforcement cooperation that helped bring him before a US court.
The case also demonstrates the risks associated with phishing attacks and data breaches at tax preparation firms, which can expose sensitive financial and identity information belonging to large numbers of customers.
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