Nigerian Lawyer Extradited to U.S. in $8 Million Mortgage Fraud Case

Nigerian attorney Okechukwu Josiah Odunna has been extradited to the United States to face federal charges in connection with a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme. Odunna, 60, made his initial court appearance in Miami, Florida, where prosecutors allege he played a key role in defrauding U.S. financial institutions through fraudulent property transactions involving about 20 residential properties in Florida.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the scheme resulted in approximately $8 million in losses. Odunna, who was a licensed attorney and a director at Direct Title and Escrow Services, Inc., is accused of submitting false loan applications and settlement documents to banks between December 2005 and May 2008. The applications allegedly included fake buyer names, inflated property values, and misleading information about the flow of funds.

Authorities say Odunna also facilitated the fraud by serving as the settlement agent in the fraudulent closings. In some cases, sellers and lenders were provided with two different versions of settlement statements to conceal the true nature of the transactions.

Odunna was arrested in Nigeria on September 24, 2024, following a U.S. extradition request. He was transferred to the Southern District of Florida on March 6, 2025, after waiving extradition, and has remained in custody since his arrest. He is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman on March 11 for arraignment and a pretrial detention hearing.

Co-defendants in the case include Karl Oreste, who has already pleaded guilty and was sentenced to over eight years in prison; Marie Lucie Tondreau, a former mayor of North Miami, who was convicted at trial and sentenced to more than five years; and Kelly Augustin, who remains a fugitive.

If convicted, Odunna faces up to 30 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, along with possible fines and supervised release.

The investigation is being led by the FBI Miami Field Office and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, with support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. U.S. officials acknowledged the cooperation of Nigerian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and other agencies in securing Odunna’s arrest and extradition.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove handling asset forfeiture proceedings.

Odunna previously served as Deputy Director of Legal Services at Nigeria’s National Lottery Regulatory Commission for six years.