Nigerian Man Jailed in US for $6M Inheritance Scam

A Nigerian man, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, has been sentenced to nearly eight years in a United States federal prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar inheritance fraud scheme that targeted elderly Americans.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced the sentencing in a statement released on Monday, September 15, 2025. According to court documents, the 41-year-old Akhimie, who was extradited from the United Kingdom, received his sentence on September 11 before a Florida District Court.

This conviction brings the total number of Nigerians sentenced in connection with the same scheme to eight.

Investigators revealed that Akhimie and his co-conspirators operated a sophisticated network that preyed on vulnerable individuals, many of them senior citizens.

For years, the fraudsters mailed personalized letters to victims across the United States, claiming to represent a bank in Spain. The letters falsely informed recipients that a long-lost relative had left them a multimillion-dollar inheritance overseas.

But there was a catch. Victims were told they had to pay several “processing fees” — including delivery charges, taxes, and clearance payments, before the inheritance could be released.

Instead of receiving any money, victims lost thousands of dollars, which Akhimie and his team laundered through a network of U.S. based former victims who were tricked into becoming “money mules” to forward payments.

In his guilty plea, Akhimie admitted that the scam defrauded over $6 million from more than 400 victims.

U.S. authorities condemned the scam, calling it a direct attack on the country’s elderly population.

“Schemes like this steal not just money but dignity from our seniors,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “We will keep fighting to ensure their voices are heard and to hold criminals accountable.”

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate described the case as proof of how vital global partnerships are in tackling cross-border crime, thanking law enforcement agencies in the UK, Spain, and Portugal for their cooperation.

Bladismir Rojo, Acting Postal Inspector for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said the agency remains committed to protecting American consumers from international fraud networks.

Akhimie is the eighth defendant to receive a prison sentence in connection with the scheme. In April 2025, another Nigerian, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, was sentenced to 97 months after being extradited from Portugal. District Court Judge Roy K. Altman, who presided over Ogbata’s case, described the crime as “an incredibly serious offense” and stressed the need for strong punishment to protect society’s most vulnerable members.

The successful prosecution involved cooperation from multiple agencies, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Europol, and law enforcement authorities from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal.

Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Josh Rothman from the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch led the prosecution.