Nigerian sentenced to 97 months in US for $6m inheritance fraud

By Favour Ulebor & Agency report

A United States tribunal has sentenced a Nigerian, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, to much than 8 years successful situation for his relation successful a transnational inheritance fraud that stole implicit $6 cardinal from much than 400 victims, galore of them elderly.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, successful a caller statement, said Akhimie, 41, was sentenced connected September 11 to 97 months’ imprisonment aft pleading blameworthy to conspiracy charges.

According to tribunal filings cited successful the office’s statement, Akhimie and his accomplices sent personalised letters to radical successful the United States, posing arsenic slope officials successful Spain.

The letters told recipients they were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from relatives who had supposedly died overseas.

Victims were instructed to wage fees, described arsenic transportation charges, taxes and different costs, earlier they could person the money.

The letters warned that these payments were needed to debar “government scrutiny.”

The funds were past moved done a web of intermediaries, including U.S.-based erstwhile victims who were persuaded to enactment arsenic conduits for the syndicate.

The connection successful parts, “Akhimie and his co-conspirators collected wealth victims sent successful effect to the fraudulent letters done a analyzable web of U.S.-based erstwhile victims, whom the defendants convinced to person wealth and guardant it to the defendants oregon persons associated with them.

“Victims who sent wealth ne'er received immoderate purported inheritance funds. In pleading guilty, Akhimie admitted to defrauding implicit $6 cardinal from much than 400 victims, galore of whom were aged oregon different vulnerable,” the connection read.

U.S. Attorney Jason Quiñones described the transgression arsenic a betrayal of trust.

He said, “Schemes similar this bargain not lone wealth but dignity from our seniors. Our Office stands with victims, ensures their voices are heard, and volition relentlessly prosecute those who prey connected them.”

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division emphasised planetary practice successful the probe.

He said, “The Justice Department volition proceed to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justness transnational criminals liable for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. This lawsuit serves arsenic a testament to the captious relation of planetary collaboration successful combating transnational crime.

“I privation to convey our U.S. instrumentality enforcement partners, arsenic good arsenic those who assisted crossed the globe, including the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service of the United Kingdom, for their outstanding contributions to this case,” Shumate said.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the probe successful the United States.

Acting Inspector successful Charge, Bladismir Rojo, said, “We are committed to protecting American consumers from being defrauded by transnational transgression organisations. We volition proceed to enactment with the Department of Justice to present justice.”

Acting Special Agent successful Charge Ray Rede of HSI Arizona added, “Defrauding the aged and different susceptible populations is simply a betrayal of not conscionable spot but of humanity. Justice volition prevail, and those who exploit others for idiosyncratic summation volition beryllium held accountable.”

Akhimie is the eighth suspect to beryllium sentenced successful the sprawling case.

In April, different Nigerian, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, received the aforesaid 97-month condemnation from District Court Judge Roy Altman.

At the time, Judge Altman described the offence arsenic “an incredibly superior crime” that demanded beardown punishment to support “the astir vulnerable, the slightest protected members of our society.

Other defendants successful the substance antecedently received jailhouse presumption successful related proceedings earlier U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams.

The Department of Justice stated that the probe benefited from assistance from Europol, arsenic good arsenic authorities successful the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal, alongside its Office of International Affairs.

Vanguard News

The station Nigerian se...