A 50-year-old Nigerian national, Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, has been sentenced to 85 months in prison in the United States for his involvement in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. The sentencing, which took place on Monday, July 22, 2024, marks the conclusion of the prosecution of six Nigerian defendants linked to this case.
According to court documents, Ezemma was part of a group of fraudsters who sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States. These letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to a multimillion-dollar inheritance left by a family member who had died years before in Portugal.
Victims were instructed to send money for delivery fees and taxes to receive their supposed inheritance. The funds were then funneled through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims. Additionally, the defendants convinced previous victims to solicit money from new victims, further perpetuating the fraud.
The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch has pledged to continue pursuing and prosecuting transnational criminals involved in defrauding U.S. consumers. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton emphasized the importance of international collaboration in addressing this type of criminal activity. The efforts of the Postal Inspection Service, the Spanish National Police, National Crime Agency, and Portuguese Judicial Police were highlighted for their contributions to this investigation.
Source: Lindaikejisblog.com
