Nigerian man pleads guilty to $6m inheritance scam, faces 20 years in prison
Story from Yahaya Goni
A Nigerian national, Ehis Akhimie, has pleaded guilty in the United States for his role in an international fraud ring that targeted elderly Americans with fake inheritance scams, defrauding victims of over $6 million.
The 41-year-old entered his guilty plea on June 17 before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman in Miami, Florida. Akhimie was charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and now faces up to 20 years in prison.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Akhimie was part of a sophisticated transnational criminal network that mailed personalized letters to hundreds of elderly victims across the United States.
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The letters, printed on counterfeit bank letterheads, falsely claimed the recipients were heirs to multimillion-dollar inheritances from distant relatives in Spain. Victims were instructed to pay fees—disguised as taxes and processing costs—in order to claim the fake inheritance. The promised funds never materialized.
“These fraudsters were preying on the hopes and vulnerabilities of elderly Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. He emphasized that the Department would continue to pursue transnational criminals who target U.S. consumers.
Akhimie admitted to collaborating with international fraudsters and U.S.-based accomplices, including former victims who had been manipulated into serving as money mules to receive and launder the stolen funds. More than 400 people—many elderly and living alone—were scammed through the scheme.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations led the multi-agency investigation in cooperation with law enforcement in the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Nigeria. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and Office of International Affairs also played key roles in securing arrests and extraditions.
“This case shows the importance of international partnerships in bringing transnational criminals to justice,” said Shumate. He thanked the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service of the United Kingdom for their efforts in the case.
Akhimie is one of several individuals convicted in connection with the fraud. Others include Ezennia Neboh, extradited from Spain and sentenced to 128 months; Kennedy Ikponmwosa, also from Spain, sentenced to 97 months; Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham from the UK, sentenced to 82, 87, and 90 months respectively. Amos Ezemma, paroled into the U.S. from Nigeria, received a 90-month sentence in July 2024, while Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, extradited from Portugal, was sentenced to 97 months.
Authorities urged families to stay alert and report suspicious communications, stressing that such scams disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Akhimie’s sentencing is expected to take place later this year.
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