Sixth Nigerian Sentenced in Scheme Defrauding Elderly US Victims

 

On Monday, Nigerian national Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, 50, was sentenced to 85 months in prison for his involvement in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme.

This sentencing marks the conclusion for all six defendants connected with the case.

Court documents reveal that Ezemma was part of a fraudulent group that targeted elderly victims in the U.S. The scheme involved sending personalized letters claiming the recipients were entitled to a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a deceased family member in Portugal.

Victims were falsely informed they needed to pay fees and taxes to receive their supposed inheritance.

The defendants orchestrated a complex network where former victims were manipulated into receiving and forwarding funds from new victims.

“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 Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton.

Boynton highlighted the importance of international collaboration, thanking the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Spanish National Police, the National Crime Agency, and the Portuguese Judicial Police.

“This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime,” he added.

Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the USPIS Miami Division remarked, “This investigation is a great example of the results the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Justice Department, and our law enforcement partners strive to achieve.”

Special Agent in Charge Fransisco B. Burrola of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona condemned the exploitation of the elderly, stating, “Targeting the elderly for pure financial gain is beyond shameful, it’s morally reprehensible.”

Each of Ezemma’s co-defendants has also been sentenced.

Emmanuel Samuel received 82 months on June 21, 2023; Jerry Chucks Ozor was sentenced to 87 months on July 25, 2023; Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham got 90 months on August 29, 2023; Kennedy Ikponmwosa was sentenced to 87 months on October 20, 2023; and Peter Ezennia Neboh received 128 months on November 2, 2023.

All six defendants were ordered to pay over $6 million in restitution to their more than 400 victims.

The case was investigated by the Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS, and HSI, with critical assistance from the Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and Europol.

Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian, and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, are prosecuting the case.