𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗷𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 $6𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝗦!

February 7, 2026 1 Min Read

Reported by Mustapha Labake Omowumi | Sele Media Africa Journalist

A United States federal court has sentenced a Nigerian national to 97 months (over eight years) in prison for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded more than 400 elderly and vulnerable Americans of over $6 million.
According to official reports, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, was handed the sentence on September 11, 2025, after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges connected to the long-running scheme. The Nigeria-born defendant was extradited to the United States and prosecuted in the Southern District of Florida.
Prosecutors revealed that the fraud network sent fraudulent inheritance letters to U.S. citizens, falsely claiming they were beneficiaries of large estates belonging to deceased relatives or foreign individuals. Victims were then persuaded to send money to cover fabricated taxes, legal fees, and processing charges.
Authorities stated that the operation deliberately targeted elderly Americans, exploiting trust in official-sounding correspondence to repeatedly extract funds.
In court filings, the U.S. Department of Justice described the scheme as a coordinated conspiracy that ran for several years and involved multiple participants across international borders.
U.S. authorities have again warned the public—especially senior citizens—to remain vigilant against unsolicited messages promising unexpected financial windfalls and to verify such claims through legitimate legal channels before making any payments.

CITATION:
1.The Guardian Nigeria
https://guardian.ng/news/nigeria/metro/nigerian-jailed-8-years-in-u-s-for-6m-inheritance-fraud-targeting-elderly/

2.BusinessDay Nigeria
https://businessday.ng/news/article/u-s-court-jails-nigerian-for-8-years-over-6m-inheritance-fraud/