A U.S. federal court has sentenced two Nigerian nationals, Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, to a combined 30 years in prison for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded American citizens of $3.5 million.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the two men lured victims with false claims of inheriting large sums of money, requiring upfront payments to access the supposed fortunes. Law enforcement uncovered their fraudulent schemes through an undercover investigation.
Ibekie, 59, of Oswego, Illinois, was convicted on 14 counts, including wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and passport fraud. He was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger. Aniukwu, 50, of Romeoville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The pair also ran an online romance scam, building trust with victims via social media and dating websites, only to convince them to send money. Additionally, they were involved in a business email compromise scam targeting corporate email accounts.
The fraud led to losses exceeding $3.5 million. A third defendant, Jennifer Gosha, a U.S. citizen from Oak Park, Illinois, has pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and making false statements to a federal agent. She is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2024.
