Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian national, was recently extradited from Poland to the United States to face serious federal charges for allegedly running a large-scale scam targeting elderly Americans. Nnebocha made his first appearance in federal court in Miami before U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett.
Authorities say Nnebocha was arrested in Poland in April 2025 after an indictment was filed in the Southern District of Florida. Nnebocha has been in detention since then while the legal process moved forward. His extradition marks a significant step in the U.S. government’s efforts to combat crimes against seniors, especially fraud schemes that cross international borders.
Nnebocha faces multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Prosecutors allege he was part of a criminal group that carried out a sophisticated inheritance scam. According to court documents, the scheme ran for more than five years, defrauding elderly Americans out of their hard-earned savings. Two other defendants in the same case, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata and Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, have already pleaded guilty and received prison sentences of more than eight years each.
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How the Alleged Scam Worked
Court documents describe the alleged fraud in detail. Victims reportedly received personalized letters claiming they were entitled to a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a family member who had died years ago in Spain. This type of crime, known as an inheritance scam, tricks people into believing they have inherited money or property and then asks them to pay fees or taxes before receiving it. In reality, victims who send money never receive any inheritance. The letters falsely claimed to be from representatives of a Spanish bank.
Recipients were told they had to send money first for delivery fees, taxes, and other charges. Victims were warned that failing to pay could trigger government investigations or legal problems.
To make the scheme more complex, Nnebocha allegedly used a network of people in the United States to collect and forward the money. Some of these intermediaries were previous victims who were convinced to help the criminals unknowingly. Despite sending money, victims never received any inheritance.
Nnebocha is now charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors handling the case include Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Josh Rothman, who are leading efforts to bring the defendants to justice.
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Government Efforts to Protect Seniors
This case highlights the U.S. Justice Department’s ongoing work to protect older adults from scams. Elder fraud can take many forms, including romance scams, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams.
- Romance fraud occurs when a scammer pretends to be romantically interested in someone, then convinces the victim to send money.
- Lottery fraud tricks people into believing they have won a prize but must pay fees or taxes to claim it.
- Tech support scams involve fake computer or phone problems, with scammers asking for payment to “fix” the issue.
- Grandparent scams target elderly victims by claiming a family member is in urgent trouble and needs money immediately.
Federal authorities, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, continue to investigate these scams. International cooperation is also key, with help from INTERPOL and law enforcement agencies in other countries.
An indictment is only an allegation, and all accused individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This case shows the ongoing efforts of the Justice Department to stop criminals from taking advantage of older Americans.