Amachukwu, who also operated under the names Chukwuemeka Victor Eletuo and So Kwan Leung, was sentenced by US District Judge Paul G. Gardephe, according to a statement issued on Monday by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the statement, Amachukwu and his co-conspirators, including Kingsley Uchelue Utulu, began targeting US tax preparation businesses in 2019 through spear-phishing emails designed to gain unauthorised access to their computer systems.
The group allegedly stole tax records and other sensitive personal information belonging to approximately 800 customers of several businesses in New York, Texas and other states.
The stolen information was subsequently used to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and state tax authorities.
Prosecutors said the conspirators sought tax refunds totalling at least $8.4 million and successfully obtained at least $2.5 million through the scheme.
The group also exploited stolen identities to submit fraudulent applications to the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan programme, securing at least $819,000 in illicit payments.
In a separate fraud operation, Amachukwu allegedly persuaded victims in the United States to invest in purportedly valuable standby letters of credit. He reportedly impersonated a wealthy foreign financier to convince prospective investors that the transactions were legitimate.
However, the supposed investment opportunities did not exist. Amachukwu and his co-conspirators allegedly obtained more than $7 million from victims through the scheme, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
United States Attorney Jamie McDonald said Amachukwu had participated in sophisticated criminal operations involving cyberattacks, identity theft and financial fraud.
“Amachukwu took part in sophisticated schemes to hack into U.S. businesses, steal and use stolen identity information of victims, and commit fraud,” McDonald said.
“These crimes imposed significant harm on the victims and the public, and so it is only appropriate that the crimes also come with a significant sentence for the defendant,” the attorney added.
Beyond the eight-year prison sentence, Amachukwu was ordered to serve one year of supervised release after completing his jail term.
The court also directed him to pay $3,647,629.39 in restitution to compensate victims for their losses and ordered the forfeiture of $10,846,634.39.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted with the investigation, while Assistant US Attorney Daniel G. Nessim handled the prosecution.
The case highlights the financial and personal consequences of cybercrime, particularly schemes that combine unauthorised access to computer systems, the misuse of personal information and fraudulent investment offers. Such operations can expose victims to substantial financial losses and compromise sensitive data.
US authorities have continued to pursue individuals involved in cyber-enabled fraud, including schemes that target businesses, government-backed financial programmes and unsuspecting investors.
