A Nigerian man, Ehis Akhimie, has pleaded guilty in the United States for his role in a transnational fraud syndicate that targeted hundreds of elderly Americans with fake inheritance claims, a scam that defrauded victims of over $6 million.
The 41-year-old, who now faces up to 20 years in prison, was charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud following years of coordinated investigations across several countries.
According to a statement by Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday, his guilty plea was entered on June 17 before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman in Miami, Florida.
According to court documents made available by the U.S. Department of Justice, Akhimie was part of a fraud ring that sent highly personalised letters to elderly victims across the United States, falsely claiming they were beneficiaries of multimillion-dollar inheritances from long-lost relatives in Spain.
The letters, usually printed on fake bank letterheads, instructed the unsuspecting victims to pay delivery fees, taxes, and other “processing charges” in order to receive their so-called inheritance. However, the promised funds never materialised.
“These fraudsters were preying on the hopes and vulnerabilities of elderly Americans,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said.
In his confession, Akhimie admitted to working with a group of international fraudsters and U.S.-based collaborators, including some former victims who had been coerced or tricked into becoming money mules, to receive and launder the stolen funds. More than 400 victims, many elderly and living alone, fell for the scam.
“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. This case is testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank the members of the Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service of the United Kingdom for their outstanding contributions to this case,” head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, in collaboration with law enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and Nigeria, helped to dismantle the network.
The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and Office of International Affairs also played major roles in securing arrests and extraditions.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting American consumers from being defrauded by transnational criminal organizations,” said Bladismir Rojo, Acting Postal Inspector in Charge, USPIS Miami Division.
Akhimie is not the only Nigerian convicted in the scheme. At least seven co-conspirators from Nigeria, the UK, and Spain have previously been convicted and sentenced in connection to the scam.
Among them, Ezennia Neboh, extradited from Spain, sentenced to 128 months, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, also from Spain, sentenced to 97 month, Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham (from the UK), sentenced to 82, 87, and 90 months, respectively.
Amos Ezemma, paroled into the U.S. from Nigeria, sentenced to 90 months in July 2024, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, extradited from Portugal, sentenced to 97 months.
“This case shows the importance of international partnerships in bringing transnational criminals to justice,” Shumate added.
The Justice Department stressed that such scams disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and urged families to remain vigilant and report suspicious claims.
Akhimie is expected to be sentenced later this year.
