Two Nigerians, Anthony Emeka Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, have been sentenced to a combined 30 years in federal prison for defrauding United States citizens of $3.5million.
A press release from the US Department of Justice revealed that the duo used various schemes, including inheritance and romance scams, to deceive victims into sending money.
“An undercover law enforcement investigation has resulted in federal prison sentences for two Nigerian nationals residing in the Chicago suburbs who conducted online inheritance scams and other fraud schemes,” the statement read.
It detailed how Ibekie and Aniukwu convinced victims they had received large inheritances requiring upfront payments to claim.
They also targeted victims through social media and dating websites, building trust before soliciting funds.
“Aniukwu and Ibekie also orchestrated a ‘business email compromise’ scam that targeted corporate email accounts. The scams resulted in losses to victims of at least $3.5 million,” the statement added.
Following their arraignment on 14 counts, Ibekie, 59, was sentenced to 20 years on Thursday after being convicted of wire fraud, money laundering, and passport fraud.
Aniukwu, 50, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering last year, received a 10-year sentence on November 8, 2024.
A third accomplice, US citizen Jennifer Gosha, 52, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18.
The statement concluded, “Gosha pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of wire fraud and making false statements to a federal agent.”