A Nigerian man, Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, 43,
has been extradited from Poland to the United States to face federal charges
over an inheritance fraud scheme that targeted elderly Americans, U.S.
authorities announced Monday.
Nnebocha, who appeared in federal court in Miami, is
accused of running a transnational criminal network that for over five
years mailed personalized letters to seniors across the U.S., falsely claiming
they were heirs to multimillion-dollar estates in Spain. Victims were told to
pay fees, taxes, and other charges to claim the funds — money that was instead
funnelled to Nnebocha and his associates.
He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted
on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as multiple
counts of mail and wire fraud.
Two other co-defendants — Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata
(extradited from Portugal) and Ehis Lawrence Akhimie (extradited from
the UK) — have already pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 97 months in
prison each by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman.
The investigation, which involved U.S. Postal
Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Southern District of Florida, INTERPOL, and Polish authorities,
underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to tackling global fraud
networks preying on seniors.
Authorities urged older Americans who may have been
targeted to contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311
for support in reporting crimes and seeking recovery.
“This case is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing
efforts to protect seniors from transnational fraud,” prosecutors said in a
statement.
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