Okezie Ogbata pleads guilty in US court for defrauding 400 people of $6m
Okezie Ogbata, a Nigerian national, has admitted to defrauding over 400 elderly and vulnerable Americans of more than $6 million in a cross-border inheritance scam, according to a Florida district court.
According to the US Department of Justice, the 36-year-old and his accomplices deceived victims by sending fraudulent letters claiming to be representatives of a Spanish bank.
The letters falsely informed recipients that they were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances left by deceased relatives overseas
Victims were instructed “to send money for delivery fees, taxes and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities.”
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In his plea on January 15, Ogbata admitted to orchestrating the scheme, which disproportionately targeted elderly and vulnerable individuals.
“This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime,” said General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
Ogbata is set to be sentenced on April 14, 2025, by US District Judge Roy Altman. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison
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