Nigerian-American Professor Sentenced to 78 Months for Student Aid Fraud

A 43-year-old Nigerian-American man, Emmanuel Olugbaike Finnih, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for orchestrating a multi-year scheme involving fraudulent student financial aid applications and identity theft, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday, October 2, 2026. Finnih, a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Richmond, Texas, and a former adjunct professor at Texas Southern University, pleaded guilty on March 20 to theft of government funds, fraud, unlawful use or transfer of identity documents, and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen also ordered three years of supervised release to follow his prison term. According to court documents, Finnih submitted more than 100 fraudulent financial aid applications to the Department of Education over approximately five years, using the identities of numerous straw students at colleges and universities across Texas. He used victims' personal identifying information to prepare, submit, and sign fraudulent applications and master promissory notes in their names, and employed mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email accounts he controlled to receive communications from the Department of Education and schools. Finnih obtained financial aid refunds through electronic transfers, checks, and prepaid debit cards sent to addresses or bank accounts he controlled. He admitted to repeatedly using the personal identifying information of two victims over several years. Authorities also found him in possession of false identity documents, including temporary driver permits and identification cards, intended for unlawful use or transfer. The fraud left some victims with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans fraudulently placed in their names, significantly damaging their credit and hindering legitimate school enrollment. The court heard that Finnih often masculinized the names of female straw students while using their correct Social Security numbers and dates of birth to pose as them more easily. In at least one instance, he called a local community college and attempted to have financial aid payments unfrozen after the school flagged fraudulent transcripts associated with a straw student. Finnih submitted fraudulent aid applications seeking over $1.3 million in grants and loans, of which $921,189.08 was disbursed. "Higher education costs are already skyrocketing out of control, and it's scammers like Finnih who make it worse, more expensive, and financially damaging for everyone," said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz. "This fraudster will now suffer the consequences of his manipulative, deceitful, un-American crimes." Scott Wingle, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General's Central Regional Office, said, "I am proud of the work of OIG Special Agents and our law enforcement partners for shutting down another student aid fraud ring and holding Mr. Finnih accountable for his criminal actions. We will continue to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate education funds for their own selfish purposes. America's students and taxpayers deserve nothing less." Finnih was permitted to remain on bond and will voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Department of Education Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with assistance from the Lone Star College Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad R. Gray prosecuted the case.