The United States Department of Justice has disclosed that a Nigerian, Edwin Okoronkwo, who was sentenced to 75 months imprisonment for defrauding some Americans, will be deported after completing his jail term.
Okoronkwo was said to have connived with his wife, Julie Okoronkwo, who was also sentenced to 25 months imprisonment for her role in the catfishing scheme that targeted unsuspecting Americans.
The conviction was contained in a statement obtained by The PUNCH from the US Department of Justice website on Thursday.
The statement disclosed that the convicts who were permanent residents of the US, used stolen identities to disguise themselves as a high-ranking member of the US military to defraud their victims.
It also noted that to make their scam real, Julie often used phone calls to lure the victims into believing the authenticity of their claims.
The convicts were said to have obtained money from their victims through postal services.
The statement read, “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.
‘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 and other commercial carriers such as FedEx and UPS.
“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 licence information.”
The statement noted that following their arrest and prosecution, Julie was sentenced to 25 months in prison on January 10, while Edwin was sentenced to 75 months in prison on January 29 by a US District Judge.
The judge also ordered Edwin to pay restitution to the tune of $342,535.00 to some of the victims, a supervised release for three years and deportation.
“United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Edwin Okoronkwo, age 36, of Nigeria, was sentenced on January 29, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Okoronkwo to 75 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
“After his release from prison, Okoronkwo will be placed on a three-year term of supervised release and 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.
“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,” the statement noted.
