KEY POINTS
- Nigerian sentenced in U.S. inheritance fraud case.
- Over $6 million stolen from 400 elderly victims.
- International cooperation helped secure convictions.
A U.S. court has sentenced Nigerian national Ehis Lawrence Akhimie to more than eight years in prison for his role in a transnational fraud scheme that swindled over 400 elderly Americans out of more than $6 million.
The 41-year-old was handed a 97-month sentence on September 11 after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Prosecutors said Akhimie and his accomplices lured victims with fake letters promising multimillion-dollar inheritances, posing as Spanish bank officials to give the scheme legitimacy.
Inheritance scam preyed on vulnerable Americans
The fraudsters told victims they had to pay delivery fees, taxes and other charges before accessing their supposed inheritance. The payments, funneled through intermediaries, many of them manipulated former fraud victims in the U.S. never reached any legitimate accounts. Instead, prosecutors said, the group enriched themselves while leaving seniors financially and emotionally devastated.
“No victim ever received any inheritance funds,” the Justice Department said, stressing that Akhimie admitted to defrauding vulnerable Americans on a massive scale.
International effort cracked the $6 million scheme
The investigation drew support from Europol and authorities in the U.K., Spain and Portugal. U.S. Attorney Jason Quiñones said the case showed why law enforcement must remain aggressive in pursuing fraud targeting older citizens. “Schemes like this steal not only money but dignity from our seniors,” he said.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate credited international collaboration for bringing the conspirators to justice, while Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service pledged to continue cracking down on transnational scams.
More Nigerians sentenced in related fraud case
Akhimie is the eighth defendant sentenced in the sprawling case. In April, another Nigerian, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, was given the same 97-month term after being extradited from Portugal. Other defendants have also received lengthy sentences before different judges in Florida.
The case adds to a series of high-profile fraud prosecutions involving Nigerians in the U.S., from internet scams to romance fraud. Judges in Florida have described the crimes as “serious” and “exploitative,” underscoring the need for deterrence.
