A Nigerian citizen recently admitted to running a global inheritance fraud operation that deceived elderly and vulnerable individuals throughout the United States.
As detailed in court filings, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, was part of a group of con artists that sent tailored letters to elderly targets in the United States over several years. The letters misleadingly asserted that the sender represented a bank in Spain and that the recipient was eligible to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left by a deceased family member who had passed away abroad years earlier.
Akhimie and his accomplices allegedly spun a web of lies to their victims, including claims that, before they could access their supposed inheritance, they needed to send money for delivery charges, taxes, and other fees to avoid scrutiny from government officials.
It is alleged that Akhimie and his co-conspirators collected the funds sent by victims in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex network of former victims in the U.S., who were persuaded to accept the money and forward it to the defendants or their associates. Victims who sent money received nothing in return regarding the claimed inheritance.
By entering a guilty plea, Akhimie acknowledged that he had swindled over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise in precarious situations. On June 17, Akhimie confessed to conspiracy to engage in mail and wire fraud. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
This marks the second indictable case linked to this international fraud operation. Seven additional co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Nigeria have already been convicted and sentenced for their involvement in this scheme.
On Nov. 1, 2023, the Honourable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Ezennia Peter Neboh, who was extradited from Spain, to 128 months in prison. On October 20, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced another defendant, also extradited from Spain, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, to 97 months in jail. Three other defendants extradited from the United Kingdom received various prison sentences: Emmanuel Samuel received 82 months, Jerry Chucks Ozor received 87 months, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham received 90 months for their participation in the scheme. Amos Prince Okey Ezemma was granted parole into the U.S. from Nigeria and was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment in July 2024 for his involvement in the operation. Lastly, on April 25, the Honourable Roy K. Altman sentenced Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, extradited from Portugal, to 97 months of incarceration for his part in the scheme.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting American consumers from being defrauded by Transnational Criminal Organisations,” said Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “We have long partnered with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch to deliver justice, and we will continue to do so.” The Department of Justice stated in a press release.
