Fraud: After prison sentence, Nigerian man to be deported from US
The United States Department of Justice has announced that Edwin Okoronkwo, a Nigerian citizen convicted of defrauding multiple Americans, will be deported upon completing his 75-month prison sentence.
Okoronkwo carried out the fraudulent scheme alongside his wife, Julie Okoronkwo, who received a 25-month prison term for her role in the elaborate catfishing scam.
According to a statement obtained by VANGUARD from the U.S. Department of Justice website, the couple, both lawful permanent residents of the U.S., assumed stolen identities to impersonate a high-ranking military officer and deceive victims.
To further legitimise the scam, Julie Okoronkwo would personally contact victims to reinforce their fabricated claims.
The couple received fraudulent payments through postal services and commercial carriers, exploiting their victims’ trust.
The statement revealed, “Edwin Okoronkwo, a citizen of Nigeria and a lawful permanent resident of the United States, and his spouse, Julie Okoronkwo, residing in Nebraska, used ‘catfishing’ schemes to obtain money from victims via the Internet. In doing so, they convinced victims to send money using false online social media personas.
“In some instances, they claimed to be high-ranking members of the United States military on overseas missions. Through the catfishing schemes, victims from all over the country were tricked into sending money through the United States Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS.
“The Okoronkwos used victims’ personal identifying information (PII) obtained from identity theft victims to open bank accounts and other online financial services accounts, including peer-to-peer digital payments platforms (e.g., PayPal and Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App). They directed the victims of the “catfishing” schemes to send money from the victims’ personal peer-to-peer digital payment platform accounts to the peer-to-peer digital payment platforms opened by the Okoronkwos using the names and PII of the identity theft victims. From those false accounts, the Okoronkwos would then transfer money into their personal bank accounts, to bank accounts opened using the names of identity theft victims but controlled by the Okoronkwos, or to cryptocurrency exchange platforms. Some of the money would also then be passed along to recipients overseas to Nigeria via international wire transfers through remittance services.
“Julie Okoronkwo contacted “catfishing” victims over the phone to further convince them of the legitimacy of their need for cash and obtained from her workplace – a hospital – victims’ means of identification, including their social security numbers and Nebraska driver’s license information. The means of identification were used by the Okoronkwos in furtherance of their “catfishing’ schemes. Julie Okoronkwo was previously sentenced to imprisonment for 25 months by U.S. District Judge Buescher on January 10, 2025. Judge Buescher stated at Edwin Okoronkwo’s sentencing hearing that the crimes were “truly a tragedy for the victims.”
