Two Nigerian nationals who were extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom pleaded guilty to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Jerry Chucks Ozor, 43, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham, 44, were part of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died years before in Spain. Victims were told that before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims. The defendants convinced these former victims to receive money from new victims and then forward the fraud proceeds to others (thereby serving as so-called “money mules”). In pleading guilty, the defendants admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue, prosecute, and secure the convictions of transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. I thank the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency for its extensive efforts in helping to ensure that these defendants are held accountable here in the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has a long tradition of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the USPIS Miami Division. “These guilty pleas are a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to protect our citizens from these scams.”
“These guilty pleas are a result of the unwavering commitment and countless hours spent by HSI and our law enforcement partners to ensure that this investigation led the extradition of the two Nigerian nationals,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of HSI Arizona. “Operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that targets the elderly is not only morally reprehensible, it also undermines the financial systems we use and depend upon. I thank everyone who worked on this case. These two defendants are one step closer to facing much-deserved prison time.”
On May 18, Ozor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Abraham pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud earlier today. Ozor is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams on July 27. Judge Williams will sentence Abraham on Aug. 9. Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS, and HSI are investigating the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Civil Division’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, Europol, and authorities from the U.K., Spain, and Portugal all provided critical assistance.
