Fraud: Poland-based Nigerian risks 20 years in US jail
A Poland-based Nigerian, Tochuwku Nnebocha, is at risk of 20 years’ imprisonment following his extradition to the United States of America for allegedly defrauding elderly Americans. This is coming on the heels of the clampdown and deportation of criminal migrants by the Donald Trump administration in the US.
PUNCH Metro learnt in a statement obtained from the US Department of Justice on Tuesday that the suspect was extradited in April.According to the statement, the 43-year-old is facing federal charges of engaging in a transnational criminal organisation that operated an inheritance fraud scheme that cheated many American seniors out of their savings.
The statement added that Nnebocha made his initial appearance in a Miami federal court on Monday.It read, “Nnebocha was arrested in April 2025 by authorities in Poland, based on an indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida, and has remained incarcerated since then. According to court documents, Nnebocha is charged with operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme.“
Over the course of more than five years, he, along with others, allegedly sent personalised letters to elderly consumers in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who purportedly had died years before in Spain.
“Victims were told that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and payments to avoid questioning from government authorities.” It noted that the suspect also sent money to some Americans he had convinced to receive the money before forwarding it to him.
The DoJ noted that despite the promise that his victims would receive a part of the inheritance, none of the victims who sent money ever received their purported inheritance funds.It added that following the suspect’s extradition, he was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and mail fraud, and if found guilty, could face a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment.“
The defendant is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as mail fraud and wire fraud.“Nnebocha made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.“If convicted, Nnebocha faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.”
While acknowledging that the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty, it noted that other accomplices of the suspect have been jailed.“Two additional defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in this case.“The Honourable Roy K. Altman previously sentenced both Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, and Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, who was extradited from the United Kingdom, to 97 months of incarceration for their roles in the scheme.
“An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” it stated.Nnebocha is not the first Nigerian to be arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced in the US for fraud.PUNCH Metro reported in November 2024 that an elected chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State, Franklin Nwadialo, was arrested in Texas, United States, for allegedly running a $3.3m romance scam.
The DoJ stated that Nwadialo faced a 14-count charge and could also face 20 years if convicted.In another case, a France-based Nigerian, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, was reported to be facing up to 47 years in prison after being extradited to the US over wire fraud, hacking, and identity theft that allegedly caused losses of $819,000.
These cases highlight a growing trend of cross-border crackdowns on Nigerian-linked fraud networks as international authorities intensify cooperation to combat financial crimes.
