Nigerian Student Admits to Visa Fraud, Faces Up to 30 Years in U.S. Prison

Mercy Ojedeji’s Elaborate Scheme Uncovered

By Kolawole Ojebisi

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri has disclosed how a 24-year-old Nigerian national, Mercy Ojedeji, fraudulently obtained a student visa and admission into the University of Missouri’s chemistry PhD program in Fall 2023.

Details of the Fraudulent Scheme

According to official court documents, Ojedeji used falsified academic transcripts, forged recommendation letters, a fabricated resume, and a fake English language proficiency report to secure his student visa. With these fraudulent documents, he successfully gained:

• A Social Security card
• Missouri driver’s license
• Bank account
• University housing

The university provided Ojedeji with a stipend and tuition waiver valued at over $49,000 before discovering the fraud.

Investigation and Arrest

The case came to light when:

1. Ojedeji failed to attend classes or participate in research activities
2. He was dismissed from the program in January 2024
3. Authorities discovered he used the invalid visa to obtain a driver’s license in February 2024

The investigation expanded when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service received complaints about romance fraud victims sending packages to Ojedeji’s partner’s address. Authorities tracked:

• 35 Express Mail packages linked to Nigerian IP addresses
• 193 total packages sent to the residence
• $94,150 in cash and gift cards seized from 17 packages

Legal Consequences

Ojedeji has pleaded guilty to:

While admitting to the visa and wire fraud charges, Ojedeji denies involvement in the romance scam. His sentencing is scheduled for July 10, where the judge will determine the final penalties.

For more details, read the original report.