On Monday, a Nigerian was sentenced to 85 months in prison for his involvement in a worldwide inheritance fraud operation. With today’s sentencing, all six defendants associated with this case have been sentenced.
According to court documents, Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, 50, was a member of a group of fraudsters who sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a Spanish bank and that the recipient was entitled to a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for them by a family member who had died years before in Portugal.
Victims were told that in order to collect their supposed inheritance, they needed to send money for shipping costs and taxes, as well as make other payments.
The victims remitted money to the defendants via a complicated network of prior victims in the United States. The defendant and his co-conspirators also persuaded past victims to accept funds from new victims and then distribute the scam proceeds to others.
“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,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
“This case is testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank the members of the Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Spanish National Police, National Crime Agency and Portuguese Judicial Police for their outstanding contributions to this case.”
“This investigation is a great example of the results the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners strive to achieve,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the USPIS Miami Division.
“We will continue to identify and dismantle transnational groups targeting American citizens and using the mail to further their schemes to defraud. Justice has no borders.”
“Targeting the elderly for pure financial gain is beyond shameful, it’s morally reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Fransisco B. Burrola of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona.
“Protecting such a vulnerable population is not just the responsibility of family members but also law enforcement agencies like HSI and our partners. Together, we are a force multiplier committed to apprehending those who scam our seniors. Let these lengthy sentences serve as reminders that HSI will not tolerate criminals who are motivated by greed.”
Ezemma’s five co-defendants have all been condemned to prison for their involvement in the conspiracy. On June 21, 2023, Judge Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel to 82 months in jail. On July 25, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced Jerry Chucks Ozor to 87 months in jail.
On August 29, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham to 90 months in prison. On October 20, 2023, Judge Williams condemned Kennedy Ikponmwosa to 87 months in jail. And, on November 2, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced Peter Ezennia Neboh to 128 months in jail. Judge Williams also ordered Ezemma and his co-defendants to pay over $6 million in reparations to their 400+ victims.
The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS, and HSI all investigated the case.
The case is being prosecuted by senior trial attorney and transnational criminal litigation coordinator Phil Toomajian, as well as trial attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner from the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and Europol all provided crucial support.
