Godson Oghenebrume, a 22-year-old sprinter from Nigeria, made waves as an NCAA champion and is the fourth-fastest man in his country’s history. The LSU star has a personal best of 9.90s in the 100m and was also a part of the 4x100m relay team that set the collegiate record of 37.90s and won a national title. But now, Oghenebrume has made headlines not for sprinting but for a serious federal conviction.

According to Track & Field Gazette on X, Oghenebrume admitted to unlawfully possessing a firearm while in the United States on a non-immigrant F-1 student visa. The charges were levied against him following an incident that took place on February 7, 2025, in Baton Rouge. What began as a heated domestic dispute escalated, with Oghenebrume discharging a firearm multiple times.

The U.S. Department of Justice shared that Oghenebrume was in his apartment with the young woman when his ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his child, showed up with their baby. After an argument erupted outside the apartment, Brume discharged his pistol with the baby present.

Following this, Oghenebrume returned to the apartment. But soon after, his ex-girlfriend opened the apartment door, and upon seeing Oghenebrume and the young women in the living room, began to argue with Oghenebrume once more.

The second argument spilled out of the apartment when Oghenebrume discharged his firearm a few more times into the wall, while his ex-girlfriend fled.

Later on, investigators found multiple bullet holes in the walls of the apartment complex. Oghenebrume eventually confessed that he did fire the weapon, claiming he did it to scare his ex-girlfriend off. After the shooting, the complaint says that Oghenebrume broke the woman’s phone, took the child, and tossed the gun into some bushes before deputies caught up with him, though he initially refused to answer to them.

The athlete’s neighbor later said he heard the gunshots too, adding that his ears were left ringing from the sound.

The legal repercussions for the athlete have been severe. Oghenebrume is looking at a potential maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison, along with a fine that could reach $250,000. There’s also the possibility of up to three years of supervised release after serving any prison time.

No date has been set for his sentencing, but the Nigerian sprinter could potentially face deportation as well. Oghenebrume, brother of long jumper, Ese Brume, came to came to the U.S. on a student visa in 2022.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office in Louisiana, the case is being handled by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy S. Johnson and Lyman E. Thornton III.