Okezie Ogbata, a 36-year-old Nigerian, has been charged by a district court in Florida, USA, with scamming over 400 elderly and vulnerable victims out of over $6 million.
Last Wednesday, the Southern District of Florida convicted Ogbata of running a transnational inheritance fraud scheme.
In order “to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities,” Ogbata and his accomplices lied to victims, according to the Department of Justice.
Ogbata and his associates sent letters pretending to be from a Spanish bank, stating that the receiver was entitled to a multimillion-dollar bequest that had been left for them by a family relative who had passed away years ago abroad.
He pleaded guilty, acknowledging that he had defrauded over 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable, out of almost $6 million.
“This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime,” stated General Brian Boynton, Head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, in response to the case.
According to The Nigerian Achievers Awards Institute, Ogbata will be punished by US District Judge Roy Altman on April 14, 2025, with a potential penalty of 20 years in prison.
