Nigerian national arrested in connection with inheritance fraud scheme following HSI Tucson, partner agency investigation

TUCSON, Ariz. — A Nigerian national was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport on Dec. 7, 2023, and arraigned in Miami Dec. 20, 2023, in connection with an inheritance fraud scheme. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case.

Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, 50, of Lagos, Nigeria, faces federal charges in Miami. His co-defendants, Ezennia Peter Neboh; Kennedy Ikponmwosa; Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham; 44; Emmanuel Samuel, 39; and Jerry Chucks Ozor, 43; all of London, were all arrested in April 2022 by authorities in Madrid and London. Ezemma remained a fugitive until his surrender and arrest.

“Schemes that prey on the elderly are particularly insidious,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue and prosecute transnational criminals who defraud U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. I thank the Kingdom of Spain, including the Spanish National Police and the Ministry of Justice, and our law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom and in Nigeria, for their tireless efforts in assisting U.S. authorities to find and arrest this fugitive so that he may face charges here in the United States.”

Court documents allege that Ezemma operated an inheritance fraud scheme. Over the course of more than five years, he allegedly sent personalized letters to elderly people in the United States. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a Spanish bank and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for them by a family member who had died years before in Spain. Ezemma allegedly told his victims a series of lies, including that before they could receive their purported inheritance, they had to send money for delivery fees, taxes and other payments. He allegedly collected money sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims the defendants convinced to receive and forward the money to them and their associates. According to the indictment, victims who sent money never received any inheritance funds.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a long tradition of protecting citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Miami Division. “This arrest is a testament of the dedicated partnership between the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, HSI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to protect our citizens from these scams.”

Ezemma is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as mail fraud and wire fraud. He was arraigned Dec. 19, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He has been detained pending trial. If convicted, Ezemma faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Five other defendants have already been convicted and sentenced in connection with this scheme. On Nov. 1, 2023, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Neboh, who was extradited from Spain, to 128 months in prison. On Oct. 20, she sentenced Ikponmwosa, who was also extradited from Spain, to 97 months in prison. Williams also sentenced Samuel, Ozor and Abraham to 82 months, 87 months and 90 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme.

Senior trial attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and trial attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, Nigeria, all provided critical assistance.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who support to callers by assessing their needs victim and identifying next steps. Case managers identify appropriate reporting agencies, give callers information to help them report the crime, connect them with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step; it can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET). English, Spanish and other languages are available.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.