A Nigerian national pleaded guilty recently to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly and vulnerable consumers across the United States.

On June 17, Mr Akhimie pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Mr Akhimie faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.

According to court documents, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalised letters to elderly victims in the United States for several years. 

The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left to them by a family member who had died overseas years prior.

Mr Akhimie and his co-conspirators allegedly told a series of lies to victims, including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities.

Mr Akhimie and his co-conspirators allegedly collected money that victims sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based individuals, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward it to the defendants or persons associated with them.

Victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. In pleading guilty, Mr Akhimie admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.

“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said assistant attorney general Brett Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.

This is the second indicted case related to this international fraud scheme. Seven other co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Nigeria have previously been convicted and sentenced in connection with this scheme. 

On November 1, 2023, Ezennia Peter Neboh, who was extradited from Spain, was sentenced to 128 months of imprisonment. On October 20, 2023, another defendant, who was also extradited from Spain, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, was sentenced to 97 months in prison. 

Three other defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham were sentenced to prison sentences of 82 months, 87 months, and 90 months, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. 

Amos Prince Okey Ezemma was paroled into the United States from Nigeria and was sentenced in July 2024 to 90 months imprisonment for his role in the scheme. 

On April 25, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, was sentenced to 97 months of incarceration for his role in the scheme.