Young Nigerian Man Jailed in the US Over Fraud and Visa Misuse
- A United States District Judge sentenced a 32-year-old Nigerian man convicted of fraud and misuse of documents in South Dakota
- Atuchukwu Markrufus Onyeanusi received a penalty of time served alongside one year of supervised release and a 1,000 dollar fine
- The convict possessed a false commercial driving license and used it to secure employment as a cyber threat analyst
A United States District Judge, Camela C. Theeler, has sentenced a 32-year-old Nigerian man convicted of fraud, misuse of visas, permits, and other documents in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Source: Getty Images
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced the sentencing in a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. According to the official statement, the federal court sentencing took place on May 20, 2026.
Atuchukwu Markrufus Onyeanusi was sentenced to time served, which equals just under six months of custody. He will undergo one year of supervised release, and the court ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Onyeanusi had been indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025 and pleaded guilty on February 27, 2026.
The Department of Justice statement clarified that Onyeanusi is an alien with lawful permanent status to be in the United States. His fraudulent activities came to light on November 10, 2025, when law enforcement in Oklahoma conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle he was driving for speeding.
During the stop, officers discovered Onyeanusi possessed a Texas commercial driving license with his image but another person’s name.
He also had an employer’s identification card for the Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board in South Dakota under the same false name. This card described his position as a “Cyber Threat Analyst”.
Onyeanusi used the false items to gain employment and falsely asserted on an immigration form that he was a United States citizen.
The Instagram post below has more details on the arrest of the Nigerian man in the US.
Arrest of man in US stirs reactions
YEN.com.gh has compiled some reactions to the man's post below:
TobiWilcox said:
"Dem really swear for some of our Nigerian people sha."
amerika_vibez wrote:
"Always Nigeria 😢😢."
ajibola_olaf joked:
"Ice food 😋."
xpression628 added:
"Make una dey help us keep them for jail for yonder."
omoye_nee_imose stated:
"Someone with permanent residence won’t act like this 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️."
Source: YEN.com.gh
