A Nigerian national, Okezie Ogbata, has pleaded guilty in a Florida district court to defrauding more than 400 elderly and vulnerable Americans of over $6 million through a transnational inheritance fraud scheme.
According to the US Department of Justice, the 36-year-old and his accomplices deceived victims by sending fraudulent letters claiming to be representatives of a Spanish bank. The letters falsely informed recipients that they were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances left by deceased relatives overseas.
Victims were instructed to “send money for delivery fees, taxes and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities.”
In his plea on January 15, Ogbata admitted to orchestrating the scheme, which disproportionately targeted elderly and vulnerable individuals.
“This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime,” said General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
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Ogbata is set to be sentenced on April 14, 2025, by US District Judge Roy Altman. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
