Seventh Nigerian National Sentenced in $6 Million Inheritance Fraud Targeting Elderly Americans

A Nigerian national, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, has been sentenced to over eight years in a U.S. federal prison for his role in a large-scale international inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded more than 400 elderly victims across the United States of over $6 million. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the sentencing on Monday, April 28, 2025, following Ogbata’s appearance before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Friday, April 25.

Ogbata, 36, is the seventh Nigerian citizen to be sentenced in connection with the elaborate scam, which operated for several years and involved conspirators from Nigeria, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Court records show that Ogbata and his co-conspirators sent deceptive letters to elderly Americans, falsely claiming the recipients were heirs to multimillion-dollar inheritances from distant relatives. The fraudulent letters, often appearing to come from a Spanish bank, instructed victims to send various fees—such as taxes and legal costs—in order to claim their inheritance.

The group laundered the victims’ payments through a complex network that included former fraud victims in the U.S., who were manipulated into forwarding the funds to the perpetrators or their associates. None of the victims ever received the promised inheritance. Ogbata admitted to his role in the scheme and to causing millions of dollars in losses to vulnerable Americans.

The sentencing was praised by U.S. officials who emphasized the importance of international cooperation in dismantling transnational criminal operations. Law enforcement agencies in Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States—including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)—were instrumental in the investigation and prosecution.

Previous sentences in the case include Ezennia Peter Neboh, who was extradited from Spain and sentenced to 128 months in prison; Kennedy Ikponmwosa, also extradited from Spain and sentenced to 97 months; and three individuals extradited from the UK—Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham—who received sentences ranging from 82 to 90 months. Prince Amos Okey Ezemma, who was paroled into the U.S. from Nigeria, was also sentenced to 90 months.

Prosecutors credited the success of the case to the coordinated efforts of international agencies and reiterated the Justice Department’s commitment to pursuing those who exploit the elderly and vulnerable for personal gain, no matter where they are located.