Nigerian Convicted for Defrauding Over 400 Americans in the US

Fraudulent schemes often prey on the vulnerable, and the recent conviction of Okezie Ogbata in the United States serves as a stark reminder of how devastating such crimes can be.

A Florida district court has found 36-year-old Nigerian, Okezie Ogbata, guilty of defrauding more than 400 elderly and vulnerable individuals of over $6 million.

The Southern District of Florida convicted Ogbata last Wednesday for orchestrating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme.

According to the US Department of Justice, Ogbata and his co-conspirators deceived victims by fabricating stories, claiming the victims needed to pay delivery fees, taxes, and other charges to claim a non-existent multimillion-dollar inheritance.

The scammers sent fraudulent letters purporting to be from a Spanish bank, falsely informing recipients they were heirs to large inheritances left by deceased overseas relatives.

Ogbata admitted in his guilty plea that he defrauded over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.

Reacting to the case, General Brian Boynton, Head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, stated, “This case underscores the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational crime.”

Ogbata is scheduled for sentencing by US District Judge Roy Altman on April 14, 2025, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.


FintterNews

117 Blog posts

Comments