Nigerian Charged with Defrauding Over 400 Americans
A district court in Florida, United States, has charged 36-year-old Nigerian Okezie Ogbata with scamming more than 400 elderly and vulnerable victims out of more than $6 million.
Ogbata was found guilty of running a global inheritance fraud scam by the Southern District of Florida last Wednesday.
According to the Department of Justice, Ogbata and his co-conspirators told victims a series of lies “to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities.”
Ogbata and his accomplices sent letters falsely saying that the sender was a representative of a Spanish bank and that the receiver was entitled to a multimillion-dollar bequest left for them by a family member who died overseas years ago.”
In his guilty plea, Ogbata admitted to defrauding over $6 million from over 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.
In response to the case, General Brian Boynton, Head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, stated, “This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime.”
Ogbata is due to be sentenced by US District Judge Roy Altman on April 14, 2025 with The Nigerian Achievers Awards Institute, with the risk of a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail.
