A U.S. federal court has sentenced a Nigerian man, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, to more than eight years in prison over his involvement in a multi-million-dollar inheritance scam that defrauded hundreds of victims, many of them elderly.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida confirmed that Akhimie, 41, was handed a 97-month jail term on September 11 after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges.
Court documents revealed that Akhimie and his co-conspirators posed as international bank officials, sending personalized letters to unsuspecting victims in the United States.
The letters falsely claimed the recipients were heirs to large inheritances from deceased relatives overseas.
Victims were then instructed to make various payments—presented as taxes, delivery charges, and administrative fees—to release the supposed funds.
In reality, the victims never received any inheritance, while the fraudsters siphoned off more than $6 million through a network of intermediaries, including some victims manipulated into serving as money couriers.
U.S. Attorney Jason Quiñones condemned the scheme, stressing its devastating effect on vulnerable populations.
“Schemes like this steal not only money but dignity from our seniors,” he said. “Our Office will relentlessly pursue those who prey on them.”
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Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate highlighted the importance of international cooperation in bringing down the network, acknowledging support from authorities in the U.K., Spain, Portugal, and Europol.
“This case underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to pursuing criminals who operate across borders,” he stated.
The investigation was spearheaded by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with officials vowing to continue cracking down on transnational fraud.
Akhimie is the eighth defendant sentenced in the case. Earlier this year, another Nigerian, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, extradited from Portugal, received an identical sentence of 97 months.
Several other members of the syndicate have also been jailed in related proceedings.
The Department of Justice described the fraud as “an incredibly serious crime” that exploited the most vulnerable members of society, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring justice for victims.