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A Nigerian national who targeted elderly U.S. victims has been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for his role in the scheme.
Emmanuel Samuel, 39, was charged as part of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the U.S. Earlier this year, Samuel, along with Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham and Jerry Chucks Ozor, were extradited from the United Kingdom and made their appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eduardo I. Sanchez in Miami.
The Scheme
Samuel pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud on March 27. According to court documents, he was accused of operating an inheritance fraud scheme. Together with his co-defendants, he purchased lists containing the names and contact information of U.S. consumers, including many older than 65 years old.
Over more than five years, the fraudsters used the lists to send personalized letters to elderly victims. While posing as bank employees, the fraudsters falsely claimed the victims were entitled to a $26.7 million inheritance left in a Spanish bank by an individual who died in a car accident and shared their last name. Other times, the letters said the individual died in the 2004 Madrid train bombings. Of course, that was all a lie.
The victims were told that to claim their inheritance, they needed to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and payments for anti-terrorist and money laundering certificates, to avoid questioning from government authorities. Victims did send money which was delivered—believe it or not—Samuel and the others convinced former victims who could not afford the fees to collect their “inheritance” to be mules, taking the money from the new victims and forwarding it to the fraudsters. According to the indictment, victims who sent money never received their purported inheritance funds.
According to the proffer statement, more than 400 victims paid over $6 million in the scheme.
Resolutions
In March of 2023, Samuel pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. He was sentenced to 82 months in prison on June 21, 2023. U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams also ordered Samuel to make restitution payments to victims of his offenses.
Abraham and Ozor were convicted in the case. They are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Williams in the coming months.
“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.”
Resources
Schemes targeting older people are not uncommon. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline is staffed by experienced professionals who can assess the victim’s needs and identify next steps. Case managers can help connect callers directly with appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to assist them in reporting, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. Help is available in English, Spanish, and other languages.
Victims shouldn’t be afraid to come forward. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud. Plus, reporting fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses.
The Department of Justice provides various resources for elder fraud victims through its Office for Victims of Crime website.
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