A Nigerian national has been sentenced to more than eight years in a U.S. federal prison for his role in a sophisticated inheritance scam that defrauded over 400 elderly and vulnerable Americans of more than $6 million.
Tochukwu Albert Nnebocha, 44, received a 97-month prison term, equivalent to just over eight years, followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered him to pay more than $6.8 million in restitution to his victims. The sentencing took place in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, following his extradition from Poland in late 2025.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Nnebocha and his accomplices ran a transnational fraud operation that preyed on unsuspecting individuals, many of them seniors. They sent personalized letters posing as officials from foreign banks—often claiming to represent institutions in Spain—informing recipients that they were entitled to a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a distant relative who had supposedly died overseas.
To claim the supposed fortune, victims were required to pay upfront "fees," "taxes," or other charges. Money collected from these payments was funneled through a network of U.S.-based intermediaries—sometimes previous victims who had been recruited or coerced—before being forwarded to the conspirators overseas. None of the victims ever received any inheritance funds.
Nnebocha pleaded guilty in November 2025 to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Prosecutors described the scheme as part of a broader international network, with several co-conspirators from Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal already convicted in related cases.
This case highlights the ongoing threat of advance-fee frauds targeting vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly, who often lose life savings to such elaborate deceptions. Authorities continue to urge the public to be wary of unsolicited claims involving unexpected windfalls or inheritances from unknown sources.
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