A Nigerian national, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, has been sentenced to more than eight years in a U.S. federal prison for his role in a transnational fraud network that targeted hundreds of elderly Americans. The 41-year-old was sentenced to 97 months on September 11 after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge related to a fraudulent inheritance scheme.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Akhimie and his co-conspirators defrauded over $6 million from more than 400 victims across the United States. The victims, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable, were sent letters purporting to be from a bank in Spain. The letters falsely claimed the recipients were entitled to a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a deceased relative.
To receive the fictitious inheritance, victims were instructed to send payments for “fees,” “taxes,” and other charges. The money was then funneled through a complex network of U.S.-based individuals who were manipulated into forwarding the funds to the fraudsters. Prosecutors confirmed that no victim ever received the promised inheritance.
“Schemes like this steal not only money but dignity from our seniors,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “Our Office stands with victims, ensures their voices are heard, and will relentlessly pursue those who prey on them.”
The sentencing marks the eighth conviction in the case. Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division highlighted the importance of international cooperation in combating such crimes, acknowledging the support of international partners in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal. In a related case in April, a co-conspirator, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, also received a 97-month prison sentence.
