Uduebor, while admitting he committed the crime, said he was driven by desperation to succeed in his music career.
By Kehinde Okeowo
A Nigerian man, Onomen Uduebor, has been sentenced to 40 months in a United States prison for his role in a large-scale tax fraud.
The aspiring singer, also known as Onomen Onohi, was convicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The 39-year-old was extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States in March 2025 after his arrest in September 2023.
He, however, pleaded guilty in April 2025, saying he was driven by desperation to succeed in his music career.
Speaking in court, Uduebor said, “I have read the victim impact statements, and I know an apology is not enough…. I was desperate to succeed in my music career. It is not an excuse, but it is the truth.”
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, Uduebor participated in a scheme that involved tricking Human Resources departments of companies across the U.S. into releasing W-2 employee tax information. The information was then used to file over 300 fraudulent tax returns claiming more than $1 million in refunds.
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Court documents revealed that he personally filed 150 of the false returns and tracked the refunds, which were paid into accounts opened in the names of the identity theft victims. Although the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intercepted most of the fraudulent claims, approximately $140,000 was paid out, with Uduebor admitting he personally received $10,000.
The statement partly reads, “Uduebor admits that he filed 150 of the false tax returns and tracked the refunds and payments to bank accounts that the schemers set up in the names of the victims.
“While the IRS paid out about $140,000 to the fraudsters, Uduebor says he received only $10,000 from the scheme. The IRS was able to seize some of the money back from the conspirators, so the total restitution owed to the U.S. Treasury was $122,720.”
Acting U.S. Attorney, Tessa Gorman said the fraud caused significant harm to companies, employees, and the IRS, with victims suffering financial disruption and emotional stress due to stolen identities and delayed tax refunds.
While delivering judgement, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart, who sentenced Uduebor in Seattle, described him as playing a “substantial role” in the scheme.
The judge also noted that the Nigerian “freely participated in the fraud” and should have known better.
He was ordered to forfeit the $10,000 he earned from the scheme and pay $122,720 in restitution to the IRS.
He is expected to be deported to Nigeria after serving his prison term.
