Afeez Adewale jailed for wire fraud, sextortion tied to death of U.S. citizen

Internet fraudster Afeez Adewale has been sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud related to the sextortion and death of a young man in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Mr Adewale, the third among fraudsters captured over wire fraud linked to the death of an American, was sentenced by United States district judge Joel Slomsky to 60 months in prison on Friday, according to a statement by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Extradited to the U.S. from Nigeria in February, about two years after his co-defendants, Imoleayo Samuel Aina, aka Alice Dave, 27, and Samuel Olasunkanmi Abiodun, 26, were extradited in August 2024, Mr Adewale pleaded guilty during his trial in April.

Wayne Jacobs, the special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia, said Mr Adewale’s sentencing “illustrates that criminals cannot evade justice, even outside of our borders”.

In 2025, Mr Abiodun, Mr Adewale’s ally, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Similarly, Mr Aina pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, interstate threat to injure reputation, receiving proceeds of extortion, money laundering conspiracy, and wire fraud. He was sentenced to six years in prison in 2025.