A New York man has been sentenced in federal court for his involvement in a scheme that defrauded Bernalillo County of over $447,000. Oscar Kipikirui Ngeno, originally from Kenya and now a naturalized U.S. citizen, participated in a business email compromise scheme targeting the government of Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
Court documents reveal that between October and December 2019, while residing in New York on an immigrant visa, Ngeno allowed others to access his bank account for fraudulent transfers. The scheme involved sending a spoofed email to Bernalillo County from what appeared to be a legitimate vendor. This email contained falsified payment information and a phone number controlled by Ngeno, leading the county to transfer $447,372.89 into his account over several months.
Ngeno became aware of the illegal nature of these transactions and used approximately $13,090.82 of the fraudulently obtained money on November 6, 2019, to pay off a personal vehicle loan with Capital One Auto.
On November 15, 2024, Ngeno pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. He acknowledged his role in the scheme and was sentenced to three years of probation. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution amounting to $15,000 to Bernalillo County.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI with assistance from other offices including Buffalo Field Office, Rochester Resident Agency, Richmond FBI Field Office and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is prosecuting the case.