Miami: A Nigerian national pleaded guilty recently to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly and vulnerable consumers across the United States.
According to United States Department of Justice, court documents reveal that Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, was part of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over several years. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a deceased family member overseas. Akhimie and his co-conspirators allegedly deceived victims by stating they needed to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid government scrutiny. The fraudsters collected money through a network of U.S.-based former victims, who were convinced to forward funds to the defendants or their associates. Victims who sent money never received any inheritance. In his guilty plea, Akhimie admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable.
The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch remains committed to prosecuting and bringing to justice transnational criminals defrauding U.S. consumers, said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. He emphasized the importance of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime and thanked the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the UK’s National Crime Agency, and the Crown Prosecution Service for their contributions to the case.
This is the second indicted case related to this international fraud scheme. Seven other co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Nigeria have previously been convicted and sentenced. On Nov. 1, 2023, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Ezennia Peter Neboh, extradited from Spain, to 128 months in prison. On Oct. 20, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced Kennedy Ikponmwosa, also extradited from Spain, to 97 months in prison. Three other defendants extradited from the UK—Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham—received prison sentences of 82, 87, and 90 months, respectively. Amos Prince Okey Ezemma was paroled into the U.S. from Nigeria and sentenced in July 2024 to 90 months. On April 25, the Honorable Roy K. Altman sentenced Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, extradited from Portugal, to 97 months.
USPIS, HSI, and the Consumer Protection Branch are investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Josh Rothman of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and authorities from the UK, Spain, and Portugal provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, offers personalized support by assessing victims’ needs and identifying next steps. Case managers connect callers with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals. Reporting fraud can help authorities identify perpetrators and increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline operates Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, with support available in English, Spanish, and other languages.