The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested Sapphire Egemasi, a 28-year-old Nigerian programmer known as the “Tech Queen,” in connection with a $1.3 million fraud targeting US government agencies.
Egemasi was apprehended in the Bronx, New York, in April 2025, alongside Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei and other co-conspirators.
According to court filings, Egemasi allegedly created fake US government websites to harvest login credentials from officials, which were then used to gain unauthorized access to government systems and redirect funds into accounts controlled by the syndicate.
The crimes are said to have occurred between September 2021 and February 2023, spanning multiple jurisdictions.
Federal investigators revealed that the syndicate successfully rerouted funds totaling $965,000 and $330,000, both stolen from the city of Kentucky, into bank accounts at PNC Bank and Bank of America.
Egemasi is reported to have served as the group’s tech specialist, coordinating operations from both the US and Nigeria.
Egemasi and her co-defendants are currently being held in federal custody in Lexington, Kentucky, awaiting trial.
If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison, substantial fines, and possible deportation.
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