The United States has released Nigerian entrepreneur and convicted fraudster Obinwanne Okeke, widely known as Invictus Obi, after he spent about six years in prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme.

 

 

 

Checks on the website of the United States Bureau of Prisons (BOP) show that Okeke was no longer in custody as of Wednesday, December 23, 2025. The BOP record stated that he was “Not in BOP Custody as of: 12/23/2025.”

 

 

 

Okeke, who was arrested in 2019, has been released from U.S. custody, with deportation arrangements reportedly underway in line with the terms of his plea agreement. He had been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in February 2021 after pleading guilty to charges linked to an $11 million fraud.

 

 

 

Based on the original sentence, Okeke was expected to remain in custody until September 3, 2028. However, the circumstances surrounding his early release remain unclear. It is speculated he may have been placed on supervised release or granted another form of reprieve. Analysts also noted that a transfer to a state prison was unlikely, as Okeke was convicted of federal crimes.

 

 

 

Okeke was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in August 2019 at Dulles International Airport in Virginia while attempting to depart the United States. Investigations showed that he and his accomplices carried out a business email compromise scheme targeting Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy industrial and agricultural equipment.

 

 

 

Court filings revealed that in April 2018, a Unatrac executive fell victim to a phishing email that enabled the conspirators to obtain login credentials. The group subsequently sent fraudulent wire transfer requests supported by fake invoices, diverting millions of dollars meant for the company. Authorities estimated that the scheme yielded about $11 million.

 

 

 

In Nigeria, the Federal High Court ordered the temporary forfeiture of more than ₦280 million traced to Okeke’s bank accounts.

 

 

 

Before his conviction, Okeke, now 38, was a prominent figure in African business circles. He was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2016 and later recognised among the publication’s 100 Most Influential Young Africans. He was also known as the founder of Invictus Group, with reported investments across construction, agriculture, oil and gas, telecommunications, and real estate.