A Nigerian man, Ehis Akhimie, has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison by the United States court for his role in an international fraud scheme that defrauded elderly Americans of over $6 million.
The 41-year-old who was said to have defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans received a 97-month sentence on September 11 after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges before a Florida federal court.
Prosecutors said he was part of a syndicate that sent deceptive letters, impersonating bank officials in Spain and promising multimillion-dollar inheritances to unsuspecting victims.
Instead of receiving any funds, victims were pressured to pay supposed fees and taxes.
Investigators later found that the money was funnelled through a chain of intermediaries, some of whom were unwitting participants after falling prey to similar scams.
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U.S. Attorney Jason Quiñones condemned the fraud, describing it as a calculated assault on senior citizens.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate also praised international cooperation, pointing to assistance from British, Spanish, Portuguese and Europol officials in tracking down the culprits.
The probe was spearheaded by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which pledged continued action against cross-border financial crimes.
Akhimie is the eighth defendant sentenced in connection with the case. Earlier this year, fellow Nigerian Okezie Ogbata, extradited from Portugal, received an identical 97-month sentence.
