Nigerian Man Given 82 Months For Fraud Against The Elderly

Emmanuel Samuel, a 39-year-old Nigerian man who had previously been extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States, was given an 82 months jail term for his participation in a global plot to commit inheritance fraud.

Samuel, according to court records, was a member of a group of con artists who sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States while falsely claiming to be an employee of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was eligible to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance that had been left for them by a relative who had passed away in Portugal years earlier.

Samuel was extradited from the UK earlier this year, along with Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham and Jerry Chucks Ozor, and they all appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eduardo I. Sanchez in Miami.

The victims were informed that in order to collect their alleged inheritance, they would need to transfer money for delivery costs, taxes, and other charges in order to avoid being questioned by government officials.

Read Also: US, South Africa And Nigeria Top List Of Reported Fraudulent Cases Globally

Through a convoluted network of previous victims with U.S. addresses, the victims remitted money to the defendants. These previous victims were persuaded by the defendants to accept money from new victims and then distribute the fraud proceeds to other people.

“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.

“Working together, U.S. and foreign law enforcement can and will thwart schemes such as the one charged in this case and prevent further loss to American victims.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has a long tradition of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the USPIS Miami Division.

“This result is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the USPIS, to protect our citizens from these scams.”

“In my law enforcement career, I’ve investigated and arrested countless criminals involved in abhorrent activity but nothing measures to supporting HSI agents as they dismantle organizations in foreign countries whose sole purpose is targeting unsuspecting elderly victims to steal their money,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of HSI Arizona.

“I thank every agent that worked tirelessly to ensure these criminals are brought to justice for their actions – families are forever impacted all because of these felons’ actions as they targeted the elderly causing pain and financial ruin.”

On June 21, 2023, in Miami, U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams sentenced the Nigerian. She also mandated that Samuel give compensation to those who had been harmed by his acts.

Jonathan Abraham and Jerry Ozor, two other Nigerian nationals, had previously been found guilty in the case. Judge Williams is slated to sentence them in the months to come.

The situation is being looked into by the Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS, and HSI.

The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch is pursuing the case, and trial attorneys Josh Rothman, Brianna Gardner, and senior trial attorney Phil Toomajian are involved.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol, and law enforcement agencies from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal all made significant contributions.