Nigerian national Ehis Akhimie has pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court for his role in an international fraud scheme that defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans out of more than $6 million through false inheritance claims.
The 41-year-old admitted guilt on June 17 before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman in Miami, Florida, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Court filings detail how Akhimie was part of a global network that sent personalized letters to elderly individuals across the United States. These letters falsely claimed recipients were heirs to multimillion-dollar estates from alleged distant relatives in Spain. The correspondence, often printed on fake bank letterheads, demanded payment of various fees—including taxes and delivery charges—to release the supposed inheritances. In reality, no funds were ever paid out.
“These fraudsters preyed on the hopes and vulnerabilities of elderly Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
In his confession, Akhimie admitted working with an international group of fraudsters and U.S.-based accomplices, some coerced former victims who acted as money mules to launder the illicit gains. Over 400 victims, mostly elderly and isolated, fell prey to the scam.
The investigation, conducted by agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, involved cooperation from law enforcement in the UK, Spain, Portugal, and Nigeria. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service also helped facilitate arrests and extraditions.
Shumate emphasized the importance of international collaboration in combating such fraud and assured ongoing efforts to prosecute transnational criminals targeting U.S. consumers.
Akhimie is among several convicted in connection with the scheme. Others include Ezennia Neboh (128 months in prison), Kennedy Ikponmwosa (97 months), and Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham, who received sentences ranging from 82 to 90 months in the UK. Amos Ezemma and Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata also received sentences after extradition from Nigeria and Portugal, respectively.
Bladismir Rojo, Acting Postal Inspector for USPIS Miami, reiterated the agency’s dedication to protecting Americans from cross-border fraud.
Akhimie faces up to 20 years in prison and is set for sentencing later this year. Authorities continue to urge families to be cautious and report suspicious inheritance offers, which often target vulnerable populations.
