Justice catches up with Nigerian fraudster behind massive inheritance scam.
A 41-year-old Nigerian man, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, has pleaded guilty to his role in a global scam that defrauded more than 400 elderly and vulnerable individuals across the United States, stealing over $6 million through a fake inheritance scheme.
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed this in a statement on Thursday, July 3, 2025, revealing that Akhimie was extradited from the United Kingdom to the U.S. in March to face justice.
According to court records, Akhimie was part of a sophisticated international fraud ring that sent personalized letters to elderly Americans. These letters falsely claimed that the recipients were entitled to inherit large sums of money from long-lost relatives who had supposedly passed away overseas.
To make the scam appear legitimate, the fraudsters posed as bank officials based in Spain. Victims were instructed to pay various “processing fees”, including taxes and delivery charges, before receiving their so-called inheritance. But the money never came—because it never existed.
Instead, Akhimie and his associates collected the funds and channeled them through a complex web of former victims in the U.S., turning them into unwitting mules who forwarded the stolen cash back to the scammers.
In his guilty plea, Akhimie admitted that the group stole more than $6 million from vulnerable victims over several years. Many of the victims were elderly individuals simply hoping to secure a better future for their families.
“This case sends a strong message: Transnational fraud will not go unpunished,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate. “We thank our international partners for their collaboration in bringing these criminals to justice.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch spearheaded the investigation, with critical support from authorities in the UK, Spain, Nigeria, and Portugal.
Akhimie isn’t the only one brought to book in connection with the scam. Authorities have successfully prosecuted seven other co-conspirators from Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and Spain:
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Ezennia Peter Neboh: Extradited from Spain, sentenced to 128 months.
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Kennedy Ikponmwosa: Also from Spain, received 97 months.
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Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham: Extradited from the UK, sentenced to 82, 87, and 90 months respectively.
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Amos Prince Okey Ezemma: Paroled from Nigeria, sentenced to 90 months.
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Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata: Extradited from Portugal, sentenced to 97 months.
Akhimie now faces up to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. His sentencing is expected to take place in the coming months.
This case highlights the growing threat of transnational cyber fraud, especially schemes targeting elderly citizens, and underscores the need for global collaboration to dismantle international crime networks.
