Nigerian Sentenced to Over Eight Years in U.S. Prison for $6m Inheritance Fraud
- Feb 9
- 1 min read
A United States federal court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Tochukwu Albert Nnebocha, to more than eight years in prison for his role in a large-scale inheritance fraud scheme that targeted hundreds of elderly Americans.
Nnebocha, 44, received a 97-month jail term after pleading guilty to conspiracy involving mail and wire fraud, following years of coordinated criminal activity spanning multiple countries.
Court records showed that the scheme operated for over seven years, during which Nnebocha and his accomplices sent personalized letters to victims across the United States. The letters falsely claimed recipients were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances allegedly held by a European bank.
Victims were instructed to make upfront payments for fabricated charges, including delivery fees, taxes and legal costs, before they could access the non-existent inheritance. Many of those targeted were elderly and considered particularly vulnerable.
Investigators revealed that more than 400 victims were deceived, with total losses exceeding $6 million. The court also ordered Nnebocha to pay over $6.8 million in restitution to affected individuals.
Nnebocha was arrested in Poland in April 2025 following international cooperation between U.S. and European authorities. He was extradited to the United States in September 2025 to face prosecution.
At sentencing, the court imposed three years of supervised release in addition to the prison term. Authorities confirmed that several other members of the criminal network, based in countries including the UK, Spain, Portugal and Nigeria, have already been convicted in related cases.
The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, highlighting ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to dismantle transnational fraud networks targeting vulnerable populations.
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