Sapphire Egemasi, a Nigerian tech enthusiast known online as the “tech queen,” has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the Bronx, New York, around April 10, 2025. She is accused of involvement in a massive fraud scheme targeting U.S. government agencies.
Egemasi, a programmer with an active Devpost profile, was apprehended alongside several alleged co-conspirators, including Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei, who is believed to be the ringleader.
Their arrests stem from a federal grand jury indictment filed in 2024, charging the group with multiple counts of internet fraud and money laundering. The alleged crimes occurred between September 2021 and February 2023.
Prosecutors claim the syndicate defrauded the city of Kentucky of millions of dollars by creating spoof websites that mimicked official U.S. government portals.
These fraudulent platforms were reportedly used to harvest login credentials and redirect funds into accounts controlled by the group.
Investigators allege that Egemasi served as the technical lead of the operation, designing the fake websites and managing the coordination of wire transfers. Records show that in August 2022 alone, the group rerouted $965,000 into a PNC Bank account and funneled another $330,000 into a Bank of America account.
Before her arrest, Egemasi was reportedly based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, though authorities believe she previously lived in Ghana, where she may have established connections with other syndicate members.
To conceal the source of her wealth, Egemasi claimed on social media and professional platforms to have interned with multinational corporations such as British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara.
Her LinkedIn profile presented her as a successful tech professional, while her social media accounts showcased lavish vacations to destinations like Greece and Portugal, which prosecutors allege were funded by illicit gains.
Egemasi and her co-defendants are currently in federal custody, awaiting trial in Lexington, Kentucky. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison, substantial financial penalties, and likely deportation upon completing their sentences.
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