Former Professor Finnih Sentenced for $921K Fraud Scheme

Emmanuel Olugbaike Finnih, a 43-year-old Nigerian-born naturalized US citizen and former adjunct professor at Texas Southern University, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for orchestrating a five-year scheme to fraudulently obtain student financial aid. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Finnih submitted over 100 fraudulent financial aid applications using the identities of individuals falsely presented as students at various Texas colleges and universities. He pleaded guilty on March 20 to charges including theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft.

The US Department of Justice reported that Finnih sought more than $1.3 million in grants and loans, with $921,189.08 disbursed. US Attorney Aaron Reitz stated that Finnih's actions exacerbated the financial burden of higher education.

The fraudulent funds were transferred to accounts controlled by Finnih, leaving victims with significant student loan debts that affected their credit and educational opportunities.