BOISE, Idaho — Two individuals have been indicted for allegedly defrauding an Idaho business owner of over $20 million through a fraudulent advance-fee loan scheme, federal authorities announced.
Tochukwu Nwaneri, 51, of Nigeria, and Vickie Smith, 66, of Peoria, Arizona, face multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and additional counts of wire fraud and money laundering. Nwaneri made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Raymond E. Patricco, while Smith appeared on Oct. 22.
According to the indictment, Smith, using the alias Nina Cheliyan, and Nwaneri, under the alias Dr. Simon Godwin, promised a $140 million business loan from a purported Singapore-based lender in exchange for substantial advance fees. Prosecutors say the funds, which were meant for the loan, were instead used for personal expenses and transferred to family members and offshore accounts.
If convicted, both defendants could face up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy and wire fraud charges, and up to 10 years for each money laundering count.
The United States Secret Service is leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Darci Crane are prosecuting the case. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
