A Nigerian man, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, 36, has been sentenced to 97 months in prison by a United States court for his involvement in an international inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly victims of over $6 million.

According to court documents, Ogbata was part of a group that sent personalised letters to elderly individuals in the U.S. for several years. These letters falsely claimed to be from a Spanish bank representative, informing recipients

they were entitled to a substantial inheritance from a deceased relative abroad. Ogbata and his co-conspirators fabricated stories requiring victims to send money for various fees and taxes before receiving the supposed inheritance.

The funds sent by the victims were collected through a network of unwitting former victims in the U.S., who were convinced to receive the money and forward it to the defendants or their associates. The victims never received any inheritance funds. In his guilty plea, Ogbata admitted to defrauding more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov M. Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division stated, “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank our U.S. law enforcement partners, as well as those who assisted across the globe, including the Portuguese Judicial Police and Public Prosecution Service of Portugal, for their outstanding contributions to this case.”

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. Byrne for the Southern District of Florida said, “The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations, to include the elderly. We will not allow transnational criminals to steal money from the public we serve. Individuals who defraud American consumers will be brought to justice, no matter where they are located.”

Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Steven Hodges of the USPIS Miami Division commented, “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has a long history of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice. Today’s sentencing is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, HSI and USPIS to protect our citizens from these scams.”

Special Agent in Charge Fransisco B. Burrola of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona noted, “It’s inconceivable to imagine any human being robbing from those who’ve spent a lifetime working and building a life, and then are duped out of it all. Together, with our law enforcement partners, we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour – we will bring justice to those who have wronged and stolen from so many people.”

The prosecution of the case involved Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. The investigation was conducted by USPIS and HSI, with critical assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol, and authorities from the UK, Spain, and Portugal.

The public is reminded that a hotline, the National Elder Fraud Hotline (1-833-FRAUD-11), is available for individuals aged 60 or older who have been victims of financial fraud.