Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, a Nigerian national, has pleaded guilty to his role in a vast transnational inheritance scam that defrauded more than 400 elderly and vulnerable Americans out of over $6 million.
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed Akhimie’s guilty plea, which was entered on June 17, in an official statement released on July 4, 2025.
According to court records, 41-year-old Ehis Lawrence Akhimie was part of a criminal network that operated for years, sending personalized letters to elderly individuals across the United States.
The letters falsely informed recipients that they were beneficiaries of multimillion-dollar inheritances from long-lost relatives who had supposedly died abroad.
The fraudulent documents, designed to appear official, bore the name of a fictitious Spanish bank and instructed recipients to pay various upfront fees—such as taxes and delivery charges—before they could access the alleged inheritance.
Many victims, convinced of the authenticity, sent the requested funds but never received any inheritance.
Authorities revealed that Akhimie and his co-conspirators laundered the proceeds through a sophisticated operation.
The scheme included using former victims, unknowingly recruited as intermediaries, to receive and forward money to the fraudsters or their associates.
Akhimie pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
His conviction is the latest outcome of an extensive international investigation that has already resulted in the conviction of seven other individuals involved in the same scheme:
Ezennia Peter Neboh – Extradited from Spain; sentenced to 128 months.
Kennedy Ikponmwosa – Extradited from Spain; sentenced to 97 months.
Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham – Extradited from the United Kingdom; sentenced to 82, 87, and 90 months respectively.
Amos Prince Okey Ezemma – Paroled into the U.S. from Nigeria; sentenced to 90 months.
Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata – Extradited from Portugal; sentenced to 97 months.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the DOJ’s Civil Division commended the international cooperation involved in dismantling the criminal network:
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. This case is testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime.”
Bladismir Rojo, Acting Postal Inspector in Charge for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division, added:
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting American consumers from being defrauded by Transnational Criminal Organizations. We have long partnered with the DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch to deliver justice and we will continue to do so.”
Ray Rede, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona, stated:
“Transnational fraud schemes thrive in the shadows, turning illicit gains into a façade of legitimacy. HSI and our partners are committed to pursuing those who exploit seniors and other vulnerable groups for personal gain.”
The case was investigated by the USPIS, HSI, and the DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch, with Prosecutors Phil Toomajian and Josh Rothman leading the prosecution.
Akhimie now awaits sentencing and could spend up to two decades in federal prison.