US to deport Nigerian after jail term for fraud
The United States has said a Nigerian man, Edwin Okoronkwo, will be deported after serving 75 months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Okoronkwo was sentenced on January 29, 2025, in a United States federal court in Omaha, Nebraska by District Judge Brian C. Buescher.
This was announced by the US Attorney, Susan Lehr, on the Department of Justice Attorney’s Office of Nebraska website.
According to the statement, the Nigerian and his wife, Julie Okoronkwo, residing in Nebraska, used “catfishing” schemes to obtain money from victims via the Internet.
The couple 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,” the statement added.
Through the “catfishing” schemes, victims from all over the country were tricked into sending money through the US Postal Service and other commercial carriers such as FedEx and UPS.
The US court also ruled that the 36-year-old would be placed on a three-year term of supervised release.
It partly said, “There is no parole in the federal system” and he “will be deported by immigration authorities.”
Okoronkwo was also ordered to pay restitution of $342,535.00 to seven victims as a result of his crimes.
