A 50-year-old Nigerian man, Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, has been sentenced to 85 months in prison in the United States for his part in an international inheritance fraud scheme.
This sentencing on Monday, July 22, 2024, marks the final sentencing for all six Nigerian defendants involved in the case.
Ezemma and his co-conspirators tricked former victims into receiving money from new victims and then forwarding the stolen money to others. According to court documents, Ezemma was part of a group that sent personalized letters to elderly people in the U.S., pretending to be from a bank in Spain. They falsely claimed the recipients were entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a deceased family member in Portugal.
The victims were told they needed to send money for delivery fees and taxes before receiving their inheritance. They were also instructed to make other payments. The victims sent money through a network of previous victims in the U.S.
“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, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
“This case shows the importance of international cooperation in fighting transnational crime. I want to thank the members of the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Spanish National Police, National Crime Agency, and Portuguese Judicial Police for their outstanding contributions to this case.”
“This investigation is a great example of the results the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Justice Department, and our law enforcement partners strive to achieve,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the USPIS Miami Division. “We will continue to identify and dismantle transnational groups targeting American citizens and using the mail to further their schemes to defraud. Justice has no borders.”
“Targeting the elderly for pure financial gain is beyond shameful; it’s morally reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Fransisco B. Burrola of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona. “Protecting such a vulnerable population is not just the responsibility of family members but also law enforcement agencies like HSI and our partners. Together, we are a force multiplier committed to apprehending those who scam our seniors. Let these lengthy sentences serve as reminders that HSI will not tolerate criminals who are motivated by greed.”
Each of Ezemma’s five co-defendants has been sentenced to prison for their roles in the scheme. The sentences are as follows:
Emmanuel Samuel: 82 months (sentenced on June 21, 2023)
Jerry Chucks Ozor: 87 months (sentenced on July 25, 2023)
Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham: 90 months (sentenced on August 29, 2023)
Kennedy Ikponmwosa: 87 months (sentenced on October 20, 2023)
Peter Ezennia Neboh: 128 months (sentenced on November 2, 2023)
Judge Kathleen M. Williams also ordered Ezemma and his co-defendants to pay over $6 million in restitution to more than 400 victims.
The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS, and HSI investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and Europol all provided critical assistance.
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
Naija and crime
smh