A 24-year-old Nigerian national, Mercy Ojedeji, has admitted to federal charges of wire fraud and immigration document fraud in the United States after using falsified credentials to gain entry into a graduate program.
Ojedeji pleaded guilty in a U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday, April 9, to charges stemming from his fraudulent application to the University of Missouri’s PhD program in Chemistry.
Prosecutors say he submitted forged academic transcripts, fake recommendation letters, a fabricated resume, and a falsified English proficiency report to secure a student visa and gain admission for the Fall 2023 semester.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, Ojedeji leveraged the visa to obtain several personal benefits, including a Social Security number, a driver’s license, a bank account, and university housing. He also received a full tuition waiver and a stipend exceeding $49,000.
However, he failed to participate in any academic work and was dismissed from the program by January 2024, resulting in the revocation of his visa. Despite this, authorities say he later used the invalid visa to obtain a state-issued driver’s license in February.
Further investigations revealed a deeper layer to the case. Authorities linked him to a romance scam investigation involving over $1 million in suspected losses. Ojedeji, however, denied involvement in the scam. He faces up to 30 years in prison and will be sentenced on July 10.
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