A Nigerian national has been sentenced to 97 months in prison for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded more than 400 victims of more than $6 million, said the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami.
Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, was a member of a group that sent personalized letters to elderly Americans, falsely claiming they were entitled to a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a deceased family member overseas, according to court documents filed in Miami federal court.
Akhimie and his co-conspirators lied to victims, telling them they had to send money for "delivery fees, taxes, and other payments" to receive their inheritance. Victims who sent money never received any funds, say federal prosecutors.
Akhimie was sentenced last Thursday in Miami federal court.
In pleading guilty, Akhimie admitted to defrauding more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable, said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida.
"Schemes like this steal not only money but dignity from our seniors," Reding Quiñones said in a statement. "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 of the Justice Department’s Civil Division added that the department "will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located."
He also thanked international law enforcement partners, including the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service of the United Kingdom, for their contributions to the case.
Akhimie is the eighth defendant to be sentenced in connection with the scheme.
In a related case, U.S. District Court Judge Roy K. Altman sentenced Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata — extradited from Portugal — also to 97 months in prison, describing his offense as "an incredibly serious crime" and noting the importance of standing "up for the most vulnerable, for the least protected members of our society who have done absolutely nothing wrong."
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
