Nigerian man facing deportation after targeting schools in tax refund fraud in the U.S

A Nigerian man has been sentenced in the U.S. to time served and now faces deportation for tricking school districts into sending him the personal information of workers that he then used to file fraudulent tax returns. Federal prosecutors say 36-year-old Olukayode Ibrahim Lawal, who had been living in Smyrna, Georgia, was sentenced on Tuesday, March 6, in Connecticut. Authorities say in 2017 Lawal sent phishing emails to the Groton Public Schools and to Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden to obtain the personal information of employees which he used to file fraudulent tax returns in their names. He pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors say Lawal was in the United States on an expired visa. He is currently in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for deportation proceedings.