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A United States federal court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Tochukwu Albert Nnebocha, to eight years in prison for his role in a long-running cross-border inheritance fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable Americans.
In a statement, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said the 44-year-old took part in a conspiracy that defrauded more than 400 victims across the country, causing losses of over $6 million.
According to the DOJ, the scheme operated for more than seven years and relied on an international network that sent hundreds of thousands of tailored letters to senior citizens. The letters falsely claimed the recipients were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances.
Court records showed that Nnebocha and his accomplices sent letters purporting to come from representatives of a Spanish bank.
The messages told recipients that a deceased relative had left them a large inheritance and demanded multiple payments for delivery fees, taxes and other charges before releasing the non-existent funds.
The DOJ said the fraudsters collectively stole more than $6 million from over 400 victims in the United States.
Authorities arrested Nnebocha in Poland in April 2025 and extradited him to the United States in September 2025. He pleaded guilty in November 2025 to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
At sentencing, the court handed him a 97-month prison term, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay more than $6.8 million in restitution.
The Department of Justice said the case marks the second indictment linked to the international fraud operation. It added that eight co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Nigeria have already been convicted and sentenced.
