Man sentenced more than 3 years for getting fraudulent student visa to attend MU, obtaining Social Security card
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Nigerian national who admitted earlier this year to fraudulently obtaining a student visa and other documents was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in federal court, according to a Wednesday press release from the Department of Justice.
Mercy Ojedeji pleaded guilty in federal court in April to unlawful use of fraudulent immigration documents and one count of wire fraud. The release says he also serving a nearly eight-year sentence for aiding online scammers and committing pandemic and mortgage fraud after acting as a money mule in another case.
Previous reporting says Ojedeji used fake academic transcripts, recommendations, resume and a report about his English proficiency to get the visa from the University of Missouri and be admitted to its chemistry PhD program for the 2023 fall semester.
He also received a stipend and a tuition waiver worth more than $49,000. Ojedeji used the student visa to get a Social Security card from the Social Security Administration and used the number and other documents to open a bank account.
He never attended class and was kicked out of the graduate program in January 2024, the release says.