A Nigerian man, Okezie Ogbata, has been convicted by a Florida district court in the United States for orchestrating a transnational fraud scheme that swindled over $6 million from more than 400 elderly and vulnerable individuals.
The Southern District of Florida found the 36-year-old guilty last Wednesday of running an inheritance scam targeting senior citizens in the United States.
According to the Department of Justice, Ogbata and his co-conspirators deceived victims by fabricating stories, urging them to send money for fees, taxes, and other payments under the guise of avoiding complications with authorities.
The fraudsters dispatched letters falsely claiming to represent a Spanish bank, stating that the recipients were beneficiaries of multimillion-dollar inheritances left by deceased relatives overseas.
In his guilty plea, Ogbata confessed to defrauding more than $6 million from his victims, many of whom were elderly or particularly susceptible to such schemes.
Commenting on the case, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, General Brian Boynton, emphasized the importance of global cooperation in combating cross-border criminal activities, saying, “This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime.”
Ogbata will face sentencing by US District Judge Roy Altman on April 14, 2025, with the potential of receiving a maximum prison term of 20 years.
