A United States District Court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, to over eight years imprisonment for his role in a multi-million-dollar inheritance scam that preyed on elderly Americans.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida on Monday, Akhimie, 41, was handed a 97-month sentence on September 11, after he admitted guilt to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud.
Court records reveal that Akhimie and his co-conspirators crafted letters, disguising themselves as foreign bank executives based in Spain. The fraudulent communications claimed the recipients had multimillion-dollar inheritances from relatives who had supposedly passed away abroad.
Victims were pressured to pay various advance fees — including taxes and delivery costs — before receiving any funds. However, investigators discovered that the payments were funneled through a maze of intermediaries, many of whom were themselves past fraud victims coerced into aiding the operation.
No legitimate inheritance ever reached any of the 400-plus victims, according to prosecutors. Instead, Akhimie and his group enriched themselves by siphoning off more than $6 million.
U.S. Attorney Jason Quiñones condemned the crime, stating, “Schemes like this steal not only money but dignity from our seniors. Our Office stands with victims, ensures their voices are heard, and will relentlessly pursue those who prey on them.”
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate emphasized the importance of international cooperation in combating scams of this nature. “The Justice Department will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” he said.
The investigation was supported by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Acting Inspector in Charge, Bladismir Rojo, affirmed: “We are committed to protecting American consumers from being defrauded by transnational criminal organisations.”
Akhimie becomes the eighth person sentenced in connection with the fraudulent scheme. Earlier in April, another Nigerian, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, was also sentenced to 97 months for similar involvement.
The Department of Justice noted that the investigation was aided by Europol and agencies in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal.
This case once again underscores the persistent challenge of Nigerian-linked cross-border fraud operations.
okay.ng reports that U.S. authorities have, over the years, intensified their crackdown on such schemes, especially those targeting elderly citizens.
