FBI Arrests Nigerian ‘Tech Queen’ Sapphire Egemasi For $1.3m Fraud

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents have apprehended Sapphire Egemasi, a Nigerian tech enthusiast, due to her involvement in a multi-million-dollar fraud targeting several U.S. government entities.

Egemasi, popularly known as “Tech Queen,” was taken into custody in April 2025 in the Bronx, New York, along with several others, including alleged ringleader Samuel Kwadwo Osei.

The arrests followed a federal grand jury indictment filed in 2024, charging the group with multiple counts of internet fraud and money laundering.

Authorities allege that between September 2021 and February 2023, the group conspired to defraud the state of Kentucky and other institutions by creating fake websites that mimicked official U.S. government domains.

These spoofed sites were reportedly used to steal login credentials and redirect public funds.

Investigators say Egemasi played a key role by designing these deceptive websites and helping to move the stolen funds through various financial channels.

READ MORE:

• NNPP Chieftain Ajadi Pays Courtesy Vìsit On His Family’s Patriarch, Chief Bode Amoo in Ibadan 
• Aliko Dangote Foundation Distributes 40,000 bags of rice to People Living with Disabilities, vulnerable in Ogun Others
• Tinubu Lands in Kaduna For Official Visit
• Ilorin Durbar 2025: A Grand Convergence of Culture, Heritage, and Community Brands Invited to Join the 2026 Legacy 
• NSCDC Boss Audi Pledges Crackdown on Killers Behind Benue’s Yelewata Massacre

According to court documents, the syndicate rerouted $965,000 from the state of Kentucky into a PNC Bank account in August 2022. Around the same period, another $330,000 was transferred into a Bank of America account.

Egemasi and her co-defendants are currently being held in federal custody in Lexington, Kentucky, pending trial.

If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison, substantial financial penalties, and potential deportation upon completion of their sentences.