Over 400 People Bilked of More than $6 Million in What Homeland Security Official Called a ‘Ruthless’ Case of Greed Against Older Americans
Two Decades Imprisonment May Await Nigerian Amos Prince Okey Ezemma: U.S. DOJ
By Josh Mitchell
Editor
River Mississippi News
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — An inheritance scam that defrauded vulnerable people, many of them elderly people across the United States, has resulted in a Nigerian pleading guilty, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The complex, illogical scam involved a Nigerian fraud group sending letters to people in the United States.
A DOJ press statement issued Thursday states that Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, 50, “admitted to defrauding” over 400 people of more than $6 million.
Fake personalized letters convinced victims they could get inheritances valued at millions of dollars from family members who had died overseas years prior.
The scam occurred over several years, and the fraudulent letters falsely claimed to be from a Spain bank representative.
But as these scams often go, the victims were told they first had to send money to cover taxes and delivery fees. In this particular scam, the victims were told they had to send the money to “avoid questioning from government authorities,” the release adds.
Moreover, the scammers collected the money “through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims.”
Victim never got the promised inheritances.
Law enforcement was specifically aided by the Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations in the investigation, which has now resulted in six convictions.
“Fraudsters like this individual proved to be unethical by ruthlessly targeting the elderly in the name of greed,” Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of Arizona asserted in the news release.
Ezemma on Thursday pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. His sentencing is set for July 22, and he could be imprisoned for two decades.
Ezemma’s plea marks the sixth and final conviction in the indictment.
Others were:
Ezennia Peter Neboh, 128 months in prison; Kennedy Ikponmwosa, 97 months; Emmanuel Samuel, 82 months; Jerry Chucks Ozor, 87 months; and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham, 90 months.
The National Elder Fraud Hotline can be reached at 1-833-FRAUD-11.
