Kenyan national Francis Mogambi has been arrested in the United States and charged with allegedly stealing American identities to fraudulently obtain student loans valued at approximately KSh 2.6 million.
US prosecutors allege that Mogambi worked with accomplices in Kenya to obtain stolen American identities, enrol unsuspecting victims in colleges without their knowledge and access student financial aid. He reportedly retained 30% of the proceeds while remitting the remaining 70% to his alleged collaborators in Kenya. Investigators estimate that he earned approximately KSh 260,000 weekly from the scheme.
Mogambi reportedly relocated to the United States on May 15, 2024, after winning the Green Card lottery and subsequently obtained permanent residency. He now faces 10 criminal counts, including five counts of theft of government funds and five counts of identity theft. He remains in custody as he awaits trial.
The case forms part of a wider US enforcement operation dubbed “Operation Ghostbusters,” targeting student financial aid fraud estimated at more than KSh 26 billion. Investigators have also seized cryptocurrency valued at over KSh 97 million linked to a Kenyan national allegedly connected to the scheme.
