Sapphire Egemasi, a Nigerian programmer known online as a “tech queen,” is facing the possibility of over 20 years in prison after being arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with a multi-million dollar fraud and money laundering scheme targeting US government agencies.
Egemasi, reportedly arrested on April 10, 2025, in Bronx, New York, was indicted alongside several co-conspirators, including Samuel Kwadwo Osei, a Ghanaian national alleged to be the ringleader of the syndicate.
The Alleged Scheme
According to a 2024 federal grand jury indictment, the suspects carried out the scheme between September 2021 and February 2023, during which they defrauded the city of Kentucky and other US institutions out of millions of dollars.
Authorities claim Egemasi acted as the syndicate’s tech lead, utilizing her programming expertise to develop spoof websites that mimicked official US government domains. These fake sites were used to phish login credentials and illegally transfer funds into accounts controlled by the syndicate.
In one instance, the syndicate reportedly rerouted $965,000 from Kentucky to a PNC Bank account. In another transaction, $330,000 was funneled through a Bank of America account.
Background and Digital Persona
Before her arrest, Egemasi was allegedly based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and previously lived in Ghana, where authorities believe she forged close ties with the other suspects.
Despite her criminal activities, Egemasi maintained a glamorous online persona, presenting herself on LinkedIn as a successful tech professional with alleged internships at companies such as British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara. Her social media accounts featured images of her enjoying luxury vacations to destinations like Greece and Portugal, which prosecutors believe were funded through fraudulent proceeds.
Legal Proceedings and Potential Penalty
Egemasi and her co-defendants are currently being held in federal custody in Lexington, Kentucky, pending trial. If convicted, they each face:
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Up to 20 years in federal prison
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Hefty financial penalties
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Deportation to their respective home countries upon completing their sentences
The case highlights the growing sophistication of international cybercrime syndicates and the increasing collaboration between U.S. law enforcement agencies and foreign jurisdictions.