Abuja – The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that Oluwaseun Adekoya, a 40‑year‑old Nigerian national who has lived in the United States as a lawful permanent resident since 2004, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on December 2, 2025. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in the Northern District of New York, also includes five years of supervised release, more than $2.2 million in restitution to victims, a $1,100 special assessment and removal from the United States after the term is completed.
Adekoya, who operated under at least nine aliases – “Ace G.,” “BRODA,” “Legendary,” “SANTA,” “SANTANA,” “Sammy LaBanco,” “Sean Maison,” “Kiing_maison” and “Ace G.” – was the mastermind of a nationwide scheme that stole and laundered over $2 million by impersonating credit‑union customers across the country. He ran the operation from an upscale apartment in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, using burner phones, encrypted messaging apps and bank accounts opened in other people’s names to hide his involvement.
According to the FBI, Adekoya harvested publicly available information about credit‑union customers with large home‑equity lines of credit, supplied fake driver’s licences to recruits, and directed them to make in‑person withdrawals at branches in multiple states. He funded travel, rental cars and other operational costs, creating a highly structured network of managers and lower‑level operatives.
The investigation began in May 2022 when Broadview Federal Credit Union flagged a series of suspicious impersonation withdrawals and referred the case to the FBI’s Albany Field Office. The ensuing probe uncovered similar activity nationwide, leading to the arrest of Adekoya on December 12, 2023. When agents executed a search warrant at his New Jersey residence, Adekoya attempted to wipe the primary phone used to run the conspiracy, but investigators recovered multiple burner phones, luxury items including a $51,000 Tiffany engagement ring, designer handbags, high‑end merchandise and about $26,000 in a laundering account, all of which have been forfeited.
Fourteen other individuals have been charged in connection with the scheme; thirteen have already pleaded guilty. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said in a statement: “For nearly two decades, Oluwaseun Adekoya abused the privilege of lawful permanent resident status to steal the identities of innocent Americans so he could live lavishly in our country, without an ounce of remorse. Now he gets to spend two decades in prison, and he deserves every last day of his sentence. I look forward to his subsequent removal from the United States.”
Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli of the FBI’s Albany Field Office added: “Mr. Adekoya spent almost two decades of his life creating a massive criminal network that stole from hard‑working Americans. This sentence ensures he’ll spend the next two decades of his life in federal prison.”
Judge D’Agostino described Adekoya as a “perpetual thief” and a “flagrant serial offender” who has participated in sophisticated fraud and identity‑theft schemes since 2008.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark, Mathew M. Paulbeck and Joshua R. Rosenthal, with assistance from law‑enforcement agencies across the United States.
The FBI’s “Operation Catch Me if You Can” has now resulted in the conviction of one of the most prolific HELOC fraudsters in recent American history, and authorities say the sentence marks the collapse of the enterprise and guarantees accountability for its leader.
