Two Nigerian nationals, Anthony Emeka Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, have been sentenced to a total of 30 years in federal prison for defrauding United States citizens of $3.5 million through romance and inheritance scams.
According to a press release by the US Department of Justice, the duo carried out their schemes by deceiving victims into believing they were entitled to large inheritances that required upfront payments to access. The scams also extended to social media and dating platforms, where the fraudsters built trust with their targets before soliciting money.
“An undercover law enforcement investigation has resulted in federal prison sentences for two Nigerian nationals residing in the Chicago suburbs who conducted online inheritance scams and other fraud schemes,” the statement revealed.
The Department of Justice detailed that the pair also orchestrated a “business email compromise” scam targeting corporate email accounts, further defrauding their victims. These fraudulent activities caused total losses of at least $3.5 million.
Ibekie, 59, was convicted on 14 counts, including wire fraud, money laundering, and passport fraud. He received a 20-year sentence on Thursday. Aniukwu, 50, who had previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in 2023, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on November 8, 2024.
A third conspirator, Jennifer Gosha, a 52-year-old US citizen, is set to face sentencing on December 18. Gosha had earlier admitted to charges of wire fraud and making false statements to federal agents.
The press release emphasized the undercover investigation’s success in bringing the culprits to justice, underscoring the commitment of US law enforcement to tackle cybercrime and online fraud.
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