Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian national, has been extradited from Poland to the United States to face federal charges related to an alleged inheritance fraud scheme targeting elderly Americans. Nnebocha appeared in federal court in Miami following his arrest by Polish authorities in April 2025, which was based on an indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida.
According to court documents, Nnebocha is accused of participating in a transnational criminal organization that conducted an inheritance fraud operation over more than five years. The group allegedly sent personalized letters to elderly individuals across the U.S., falsely claiming recipients were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from deceased relatives in Spain. Victims were instructed to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments before receiving their supposed inheritance. Funds were routed through former victims within the U.S., who had been convinced by the defendants to forward money onward.
Authorities state that those who paid never received any inheritance funds. The charges against Nnebocha include conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as individual counts of mail fraud and wire fraud. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of relevant guidelines and statutory factors.
Two co-defendants have already pleaded guilty and received sentences for their involvement. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman sentenced Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata (extradited from Portugal) and Ehis Lawrence Akhimie (extradited from the United Kingdom) each to 97 months’ incarceration.
The investigation is being led by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
“This case is one example of efforts by the Justice Department to protect American seniors from domestic and foreign based scams,” according to information provided by prosecutors. The Department pursues cases involving romance frauds, lottery schemes, tech support scams, and grandparent scams—all designed to exploit vulnerable populations for financial gain.
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian along with Trial Attorney Josh Rothman of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting this case. Assistance has come from several agencies including the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, FBI Legal Attache in Poland, INTERPOL, and Polish authorities.
For those aged 60 or older who believe they may have been victims of financial fraud, support is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This hotline provides assessment services and helps connect callers with appropriate reporting agencies or resources; it operates Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m ET with services offered in English, Spanish, and other languages.
Additional information about elder justice initiatives can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative webpage. Information regarding consumer protection enforcement is available at the Consumer Protection Branch website. Complaints related to elder fraud can also be submitted via the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint portal or by calling 877-FTC-HELP.
As stated in official materials: “An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
Court documents related to this case can be accessed on the PACER system under case number 24-cr-20140.
