US Extradites Nigerian from Poland Over $6m Inheritance Fraud Scheme

The United States has extradited a 43-year-old Nigerian, Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, from Poland to face federal charges in connection with a multimillion-dollar inheritance fraud that targeted elderly Americans.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in a statement released through its Office of Public Affairs on Monday, confirmed that Nnebocha made his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida, after his transfer from Polish custody. He was arrested in Poland in April 2025, following an indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida.

According to court documents, Nnebocha and his accomplices orchestrated a scheme spanning over five years, sending personalized letters to elderly victims across the United States. The letters falsely claimed that the recipients were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from deceased relatives in Spain.

Victims were instructed to pay taxes, delivery fees, and other charges to secure the supposed inheritance. Authorities said that none of the victims ever received any inheritance funds. Instead, the payments were funneled through a complex network of intermediaries, including U.S.-based former victims who were manipulated into forwarding money to the defendants or their associates.

“This case highlights the Department’s commitment to protecting vulnerable seniors from both domestic and international fraud schemes,” the DOJ stated, noting that the crimes had inflicted significant financial losses and emotional trauma on older Americans.

Nnebocha has been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as substantive counts of mail and wire fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal judge will determine his sentence in line with the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The DOJ further disclosed that two of Nnebocha’s co-conspirators had already been prosecuted. Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, extradited from Portugal, and Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, extradited from the United Kingdom, previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 97 months in prison each for their roles in the same fraud scheme.

Officials described the operation as part of a broader category of “confidence schemes” that prey on seniors, including romance fraud, lottery scams, and tech support fraud. The department vowed to continue international collaboration with law enforcement agencies to pursue fraudsters operating beyond U.S. borders.