Former Air Force Members Get Prison Terms for Multimillion-Dollar BEC Scams

Two former U.S. Air Force members will serve a combined 15 years and nine months in federal prison for BEC scams and phishing operations. Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu, 25, and Harafat Mogaji, 26, helped divert business payments by stealing login credentials and impersonating trusted contacts.

The pair conducted the scheme while stationed at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, according to court documents.

Two Payments Alone Exceeded $2.4 Million

A payment from an Iowa City victim illustrates the scale of the operation. Working with accomplices, the defendants redirected a wire transfer worth more than $1.68 million into a Chicago bank account controlled by the conspiracy.

In another successful diversion, an Ohio victim sent more than $720,000 to an account belonging to the group.

Together, those two transfers exceeded $2.4 million. However, authorities also identified numerous other attempts to intercept business payments in Iowa and elsewhere across the country.

The operation involved collaborators both within the United States and overseas.

Stolen Credentials Opened the Door to Payment Fraud

The defendants used phishing and bulk email campaigns to obtain employees’ email login details. They then combined that access with forged email addresses resembling those of legitimate business partners.

As a result, fraudulent payment instructions could appear to come from familiar contacts. Instead of reaching the intended recipient, the money went into accounts controlled by accomplices.

However, the activity extended beyond redirected invoices and wire transfers. Odimegwu and Mogaji also used stolen financial details to conduct transactions without victims’ permission.

Those details included account information, PINs, and payment card numbers. In addition, the defendants purchased further data from criminal associates.

Court Imposes Prison, Restitution and Supervision

Odimegwu received a sentence of 111 months, equivalent to nine years and three months. The court also ordered him to pay $366,617.59 in restitution.

Meanwhile, Mogaji received 78 months, or six years and six months, alongside a restitution order of $995,680.45.

Their combined restitution obligations total approximately $1.36 million. Both men must also complete three years of supervised release after leaving federal prison.

BEC Scams Exploit Trust in Routine Correspondence

Business email compromise targets the communications that organizations rely on to approve payments. Criminals use compromised accounts or convincing impersonations to introduce false banking instructions into otherwise legitimate transactions.

Once a victim transfers the money, accomplices can rapidly move it between accounts. Consequently, efforts to freeze and recover the funds can become more difficult.

The financial consequences remain substantial. According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, the agency recorded 24,768 BEC complaints and more than $3 billion in reported losses that year.