Nigerian ‘Tech Queen’ Faces Over 20 Years in U.S. Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Fraud Scheme

Sapphire Egemasi, a Nigerian software developer known on social media as a ‘tech queen,’ is facing a potential sentence of more than 20 years in a U.S. federal prison after being arrested by the FBI in connection with a large-scale fraud operation targeting American government agencies.

Egemasi was apprehended in the Bronx, New York, around April 10, 2025, alongside alleged co-conspirators, including Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei, who is believed to have led the syndicate. The arrests followed a grand jury indictment accusing the group of internet fraud and money laundering, with the offenses said to have occurred between September 2021 and February 2023.

Court records reviewed by Peoples Gazette reveal that Egemasi’s role involved creating fake websites mimicking U.S. government portals to harvest login credentials. The group then used the stolen data to siphon off large sums from public coffers, including from the city of Kentucky.

The indictment further states that Egemasi, who had been living in Cambridge, United Kingdom, before her arrest, met the Ghanaian members of the syndicate while residing in Ghana years earlier. She went on to serve as the group’s primary tech specialist, facilitating fraudulent fund transfers and laundering money through various bank accounts.

Authorities uncovered text messages showing that in August 2022, the syndicate rerouted $965,000 in stolen funds into a PNC Bank account. That same month, an additional $330,000 was allegedly diverted to a Bank of America account.

To mask her illicit income, Egemasi reportedly claimed to have interned at high-profile companies such as British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara. On LinkedIn and other platforms, she curated the image of a successful tech professional, often showcasing a lavish lifestyle filled with luxury vacations to places like Greece and Portugal.

She is currently being held with her co-defendants in federal custody in Lexington, Kentucky, where they await trial. If convicted, each faces up to two decades behind bars, hefty fines, and likely deportation after serving their sentences.