- Nigerian Convicted, Jailed in US for Role in International Inheritance Fraud Scheme
- According to the DOJ, the scheme operated for more than seven years and was run by a sophisticated international network
- Authorities disclosed that Nnebocha was arrested in Poland in April 2025 and extradited to the United States in September 2025
A United States federal court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Tochukwu Albert Nnebocha, to eight years in prison for his involvement in a prolonged transnational inheritance fraud scheme that preyed on elderly and vulnerable Americans, Eko Hot Blog reports.
In a statement released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), authorities said Nnebocha, 44, played a key role in a conspiracy that defrauded more than 400 victims across the United States of over $6 million.
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According to the DOJ, the scheme operated for more than seven years and was run by a sophisticated international network that mailed hundreds of thousands of personalised letters to elderly individuals. The letters falsely informed recipients that they were beneficiaries of multimillion-dollar inheritances.
Court documents revealed that the letters were typically presented as official correspondence from representatives of a Spanish bank, claiming that a deceased relative had left the recipient a substantial estate. Victims were then instructed to make multiple payments for supposed processing fees, taxes and delivery costs before they could access the non-existent inheritance.
“In total, the defendant and his co-conspirators defrauded over 400 US victims of more than $6 million,” the DOJ stated.
Authorities disclosed that Nnebocha was arrested in Poland in April 2025 and extradited to the United States in September 2025. He subsequently pleaded guilty in November 2025 to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
At sentencing, the court imposed a 97-month prison term, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered Nnebocha to pay more than $6.8 million in restitution to his victims.
The Department of Justice noted that the case represents the second indictment arising from the international fraud operation. It added that eight other co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and Nigeria have already been convicted and sentenced in connection with the scheme.
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