- Guilty plea: Okezie Ogbata, a Nigerian national, has pleaded guilty to defrauding over 400 Americans of more than $6 million.
- Transnational inheritance fraud scheme: Ogbata and his accomplices sent fraudulent letters claiming to be representatives of a Spanish bank.
- Targeted elderly and vulnerable individuals: The scheme primarily targeted elderly and vulnerable individuals, instructing them to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments.
- Scheduled sentencing: Ogbata is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2025, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
A Nigerian national, Okezie Ogbata, has pleaded guilty to defrauding over 400 elderly and vulnerable Americans of more than $6 million through a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. Ogbata, 36, and his accomplices sent fraudulent letters claiming to be representatives of a Spanish bank, informing recipients of multimillion-dollar inheritances left by deceased relatives overseas .
To receive these supposed inheritances, victims were instructed to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid government questioning. Ogbata admitted to orchestrating the scheme, which primarily targeted elderly and vulnerable individuals, during his plea on January 15 .
The US Department of Justice emphasized the importance of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime, with General Brian Boynton stating that this case serves as a testament to such efforts . Ogbata is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2025, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison .
