Two Nigerians, Anthony Emeka Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, have been sentenced to a combined 30 years in prison for defrauding U.S. citizens of $3.5 million through inheritance and romance scams.
The United States Department of Justice revealed this in a statement on its website. The report explained how the two men tricked victims into sending money by making false claims about large inheritances.
They also pretended to be in romantic relationships with their victims to gain their trust and request funds.
Investigators uncovered that Ibekie and Aniukwu used fake names to carry out their schemes. They told victims that they needed money to claim inheritances and promised to refund the money later.
Additionally, they targeted people on social media and dating sites, building fake relationships to convince them to send money.
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The duo also ran a business email scam, targeting companies’ email accounts to steal money. Their activities caused a loss of at least $3.5 million.
U.S. prosecutors commented on the case, stating, “The pair carried out an online romance scam that involved communicating with victims via social media and dating websites, building trust with the victims through a purported online romance, and convincing them to send money to a predetermined recipient.”
The investigation led to Ibekie being convicted on 14 charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and passport fraud.
On Thursday, a U.S. federal judge sentenced Ibekie, aged 59, to 20 years in prison. Aniukwu, 50, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering last year, was sentenced to 10 years on November 8, 2024.
An accomplice, Jennifer Gosha, a 52-year-old U.S. citizen, also admitted to wire fraud and lying to federal agents. She is awaiting her sentencing on December 18, 2024.
