A 32-year-old Nigerian man has been sentenced in the United States after pleading guilty to charges related to fraud and the misuse of identification documents.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Ron Parsons in a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Atuchukwu Markrufus Onyeanusi was sentenced on May 20, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler in Rapid City, South Dakota. He received a sentence of time served—just under six months in custody—followed by one year of supervised release. The court also ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Onyeanusi was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025 on charges of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, possession of false and fraudulent documents, and aggravated identity theft. He pleaded guilty to the charges on February 27, 2026.
Prosecutors stated that Onyeanusi, a lawful permanent resident of the United States, came under investigation after a traffic stop in Oklahoma on November 10, 2025.
During the stop, authorities discovered that he possessed a Texas commercial driver's license bearing his photograph but issued under another person's name. Investigators also found an employee identification card from Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board in Rapid City, South Dakota, carrying the same false identity.
The identification card listed Onyeanusi as a "Cyber Threat Analyst" at the organization. Authorities alleged that he used the fraudulent Texas commercial driver's license and a false Social Security card bearing the same name to secure employment with the health board.
Court documents further revealed that Onyeanusi falsely claimed to be a United States citizen on employment-related immigration forms.
The Department of Justice noted that the case formed part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling transnational criminal organizations, and enhancing public safety.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Craig County Sheriff's Office in Vinita, Oklahoma. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
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