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US arraigns Nigerian accused of defrauding 400 citizens of $6m

A district court in Florida, United States, has charged a Nigerian national, Okezie Ogbata, with defrauding approximately 400 individuals of $6m.

The court found Ogbata guilty of orchestrating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme targeting elderly US citizens.

US Department of Justice said the 36-year old, alongside his co-conspirators, deceived victims into making payments under the guise of taxes and other fees to avoid intervention from government officials.

“Ogbata and his accomplices sent letters falsely,  claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before,” the DoJ disclosed.

Having pleaded guilty to the charges, Ogbata reportedly amassed $6m through the fraudulent scheme.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2025 and will face a prison term of over 20 years.

General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, stated, “This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime.”

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US arraigns Nigerian accused of defrauding 400 citizens of $6m

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