- Nigerian tech influencer Sapphire Egemasi faces a 20-year prison sentence after being arrested by the FBI for allegedly orchestrating a multi-million dollar fraud scheme targeting U.S. government agencies.
- Egemasi, a tech queen, was apprehended in the Bronx, New York, with alleged accomplices, including Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei, who is believed to have led the operation.
- The group was arrested following a federal grand jury indictment in 2021, charging them with internet fraud and money laundering for crimes from September 2021 to February 2023.
Nigerian tech influencer, Sapphire Egemasi, is facing serious legal trouble in the United States, where she could be sentenced to over 20 years in prison for allegedly masterminding a sophisticated multi-million dollar fraud scheme targeting various U.S. government agencies.
Popularly known online as a “tech queen,” Egemasi was arrested around April 10, 2025, in the Bronx, New York, along with several alleged accomplices, including Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei, believed to be the operation’s leader.
According to court documents, the arrests followed a federal grand jury indictment charging the group with internet fraud and money laundering, connected to crimes committed between September 2021 and February 2023.
Egemasi is accused of playing a pivotal role by creating fake websites mimicking legitimate U.S. government portals. These were used to steal login credentials and siphon large amounts of public funds.
Originally based in Cambridge, UK, Egemasi reportedly connected with her co-conspirators while living in Ghana and later became the syndicate’s tech expert, allegedly assisting in moving stolen funds through a network of U.S. and Nigerian accounts.
Prosecutors presented evidence including messages and transactions showing that nearly $965,000 stolen from the city of Kentucky was transferred into a PNC Bank account in August 2022, while another $330,000 was moved to a Bank of America account.
To mask the origin of her wealth, Egemasi claimed to have held internships at firms like British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara, but authorities believe these were fabricated to support her public image.
Despite her glamorous online presence featuring luxury trips to places like Greece and Portugal, federal prosecutors allege her lifestyle was funded by fraud.
Egemasi and her co-defendants are currently in federal custody in Lexington, Kentucky. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison, hefty fines, and possible deportation following the completion of their sentences.
