Nigerian Man Sentenced for Identity Fraud in U.S.

Atuchukwu Onyeanusi, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler to six months in custody followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to charges of fraud and misuse of a visa, as well as aggravated identity theft.

The sentencing occurred in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota.

Onyeanusi was also fined $1,000 and assessed $100 for the federal crime victim fund. He was indicted in December 2025 for using a false identity to obtain employment, specifically possessing a Texas commercial driver's license and an employment identification card from the Great Plains Tribal Leader Health Board in Rapid City, South Dakota, under a fictitious name.

The case was part of a nationwide initiative to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations, with investigations conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Craig County Sheriff's Office in Oklahoma.