36-Year-Old Nigerian Pleads Guilty To Defrauding $6Million From Over 400 Elderly, Vulnerable Victims In US

A 36-year-old Nigerian national, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in a transnational inheritance scam that defrauded over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable.

The guilty plea was entered in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, with sentencing scheduled for April 14, 2025, before Judge Roy K. Altman.

Ogbata faces up to 20 years in prison.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice detailed the intricate fraud scheme that spanned several years.

According to court documents, the fraudsters sent personalized letters claiming to represent a Spanish bank, alleging that recipients were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances left by deceased family members overseas.

Meanwhile, victims were deceived into sending money for supposed delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to facilitate the release of their inheritance funds.

Ogbata and his network leveraged a complex system involving U.S.-based individuals, many of whom were former victims, to collect and forward the money.

However, none of the victims received any inheritance, and the entire operation was built on falsehoods.

Ogbata, who operated within the United States for several years, admitted to his role in defrauding victims, with total losses exceeding $6 million.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14 by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman. If convicted, Ogbata faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

The Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, said, “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue transnational criminals wherever they are located.

“This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank the members of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as the Portuguese Judicial Police and Public Prosecution Service of Portugal, for their outstanding contributions to this case.”

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, said “The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations, to include the elderly.

"We will not allow transnational criminals to steal money from the public we serve. Individuals who defraud American consumers will be brought to justice, no matter where they are located.”

However, this is the second indicted case related to this international fraud scheme.

Six other co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain and Nigeria have previously been convicted and sentenced in connection with this scheme.

Meanwhile, on November 1, 2023, the Honorable 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 who was also extradited from Spain, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, to 97 months in prison.

However, three other defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences.

Judge Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham to prison sentences of 82 months, 87 months and 90 months, respectively, for their roles in the scheme.

However, Prince Amos Okey Ezemma was paroled into the United States from Nigeria and was sentenced to 90 months in prison for his role in the scheme.