Two Chicago-Area Residents Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conducting Online Inheritance and Romance Scams

CHICAGO - An undercover law enforcement investigation has resulted in federal prison sentences for two Nigerian nationals residing in the Chicago suburbs who conducted online inheritance scams and other fraud schemes.

Using aliases, ANTHONY EMEKA IBEKIE and SAMUEL ANIUKWU communicated with victims throughout the United States, convincing them they had received substantial inheritances and needed to send money to individuals associated with the defendants in order to claim it. In addition to the inheritance scam, the pair carried out an online romance scam that involved communicating with victims via social media and dating websites, building trust with the victims through a purported online romance, and convincing them to send money to a predetermined recipient. Aniukwu and Ibekie also orchestrated a "business email compromise" scam that targeted corporate email accounts.

The fraud schemes were uncovered by a covert law enforcement investigation. The scams resulted in losses to victims of at least $3.5 million.

A federal jury earlier this year convicted Ibekie, 59, of Oswego, Ill., on all 14 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, making false statements to a bank, and passport fraud. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger on Thursday sentenced Ibekie to 20 years in federal prison.

Aniukwu, 50, of Romeoville, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and money laundering charges. Judge Seeger on Nov. 8, 2024, sentenced Aniukwu to ten years in prison.

A third defendant, JENNIFER GOSHA, 52, a U.S. citizen from Oak Park, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of wire fraud and making false statements to a federal agent. Gosha is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Seeger on Dec. 18, 2024.

Aniukwu's and Ibekie's sentencings were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office, Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige A. Nutini and Megan DeMarco represent the government.