Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, a 36-year-old Nigerian national, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida for his involvement in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded over 400 elderly and vulnerable individuals across the United States.
Court documents revealed that Ogbata was part of a criminal group that sent fraudulent letters to elderly U.S. residents over several years. The letters falsely claimed that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a deceased family member, allegedly left in a Spanish bank. To secure the funds, victims were told they needed to pay fees for delivery, taxes, and other payments to avoid government scrutiny.
Ogbata and his co-conspirators funneled money sent by victims through a network of U.S.-based former victims, who were persuaded to forward the payments to the fraudsters. However, the promised inheritance was never delivered.
In pleading guilty, Ogbata admitted to defrauding more than $6 million from over 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for April 14.
This case is part of a larger international fraud scheme, with six other co-conspirators convicted and sentenced for their roles. Notably, two defendants extradited from Spain, Ezennia Peter Neboh and Kennedy Ikponmwosa, received prison sentences of 128 and 97 months, respectively.
U.S. authorities, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and international partners from Spain and Portugal, played a key role in the investigation.
Anyone aged 60 or older who suspects they have been a victim of financial fraud can seek help through the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11.
