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Sapphire Egemasi, a Nigerian software developer popularly known as ‘tech queen’ is facing up to 20 years imprisonment after she was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for defrauding the United States (US) government of over $1 million.
Egemasi was apprehended in the Bronx, New York, US in the month of April alongside several others including a Ghanaian national identified as Samuel Kwadwo Osei, suspected to be the mastermind behind the operation.
The FBI accused the culprits of running a sophisticated internet fraud and money laundering operation between September 2021 and February 2023.
Prosecutors claim that Egemasi was responsible for designing fraudulent US government websites to capture login details.
These stolen credentials were then used to misappropriate public funds.
She also facilitated the transfer of the stolen money into bank accounts controlled by the criminal network.
FBI also revealed that in 2022, the group successfully diverted $965,000 and $330,000 both originating from government funds in Kentucky into accounts held at Pittsburgh National Corporation (PNC) bank and the Bank of America.
Egemasi, who once resided in Cambridge, United Kingdom (UK), is believed to have first encountered her accomplices in Ghana.
She later took on the role of the group’s tech expert, operating across both Nigeria and the United States.
To disguise the origins of her earnings, she reportedly fabricated internships at major companies like BP, Zara, and H&M.
Despite the criminal allegations, Egemasi maintained an online persona of success, frequently sharing images of lavish vacations to destinations such as Greece and Portugal, portraying a lifestyle powered by her tech skills.
She and her fellow defendants are currently being held in Lexington, Kentucky, as they await trial.
If found guilty, they could face spend up to 20 years in prison, hefty fines, and a possible deportation after serving out their prison term.
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