John Doe, Advance Fee Fraud and Money Laundering, Guam, 2023

Guam residents were swindled out of $2.6 million in a brazen inheritance scam, and now four perpetrators are facing significant time in federal prison. The scheme preyed on victims with the false promise of a massive payout, demanding upfront fees that vanished into a network of shell corporations and overseas accounts. It’s a classic con, meticulously executed and leaving a trail of broken trust and empty wallets.

Federal prosecutors detailed how the con artists convinced victims they needed to pay various “fees and expenses” to unlock a supposed multimillion-dollar inheritance. These fees, of course, were pure fabrication – a calculated ploy to line the pockets of the scammers. The money was funneled through accounts controlled by Monique and Mekayda Jones, who pocketed at least 10% of every fraudulent payment before it disappeared further into the system.

Sally Cruz Roberto, 56, of Santa Rita, Guam, received the lightest sentence – 33 months in prison – along with three years of supervised release, $1,030,990 in restitution, a $3,900 assessment fee, and a $1,030,990 forfeiture judgment. Monique Jones, 49, of Dallas, Texas, earned a 48-month sentence, the longest of the group, plus the standard supervised release and financial penalties, with a $1,111,280 forfeiture.

Mekayda D. Jones, 24, also from Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 36 months behind bars, three years of supervised release, $387,160 restitution, and an $801,210 forfeiture. Okechukwu F. Iwuji, 38, a Nigerian national formerly of Orlando, Florida, received 45 months, alongside the same supervised release terms and a $475,710 forfeiture. The feds managed to trace a portion of the stolen funds, but recovering everything will be a long, arduous process.

The Jones sisters weren’t just passive participants; they actively maintained the shell corporation accounts used to launder the money, directly facilitating the transfer of funds to co-conspirators both in the U.S. and back to Nigeria. This level of involvement clearly influenced their sentencing. According to U.S. Attorney Anderson, these scams are particularly difficult to unravel due to their interstate and international scope.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Merrill issued a stark warning: if something sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. The agency urges anyone contacted with similar promises of easy money to report it immediately. This case serves as a grim reminder that the pursuit of a quick fortune can quickly turn into a devastating financial loss. And for these four, it’s a loss of freedom as well.”