Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, Elder Fraud, Florida 2025

In a shocking case of elder exploitation, Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian national, has been extradited from Poland to face federal charges of engaging in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that cheated many American seniors out of their savings.

Nnebocha, who was arrested in April 2025 by authorities in Poland, made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday in Miami before U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

According to court documents, Nnebocha is charged with operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that targeted elderly consumers in the U.S. over a period of more than five years. The scheme allegedly involved sending personalized letters to victims, falsely claiming that they were entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left by a family member who had died years before in Spain.

Victims were told that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. The indictment alleges that victims who sent money never received their purported inheritance funds.

Nnebocha is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as mail fraud and wire fraud. Two additional defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in this case. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman previously sentenced both Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, and Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, who was extradited from the United Kingdom, to 97 months of incarceration for their roles in the scheme.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Josh Rothman of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department’s efforts to protect American seniors from domestic and foreign-based scams include cases against those who engage in and knowingly facilitate romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).

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