Three Defendants Sentenced in Guam Federal Court for Role in Multi-Million Dollar Inheritance Fraud Scheme from Northern Mariana Islands

Fhagatña, Guam - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Guam announced the sentencing of four individuals involved in a multi-million dollar inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded approximately $2.6 million from Guam-based investors in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Defendants Sentenced

Sally Cruz Roberto, 56, of Santa Rita, Guam, was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
Monique Jones, 49, of Dallas, Texas, received a 48-month prison sentence.
Mekayda D. Jones, 24, also of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 36 months in prison.
Okechukwu F. Iwuji, a 38-year-old Nigerian citizen, was sentenced to 45 months in prison.

Sentencing Details

Sally Cruz Roberto

33 months in prison.
Three years of supervised release.
Ordered to pay $1,030,990 in restitution.
A $3,900 assessment fee.
A $1,030,990 forfeiture money judgment.

Monique Jones

48-month prison sentence.
Three years of supervised release.
Ordered to pay $578,130 in restitution.
A $2,700 assessment fee.
A $1,111,280 forfeiture money judgment.

Mekayda D. Jones

36 months in prison.
Three years of supervised release.
Ordered to pay $387,160 in restitution.
A $1,600 assessment fee.
A $801,210 forfeiture money judgment.

Okechukwu F. Iwuji

45 months in prison.
Three years of supervised release.
Ordered to pay $475,710 in restitution.
A $100 assessment fee.
A $475,710 forfeiture money judgment.

Conviction and Roles in the Scheme

Sally Cruz Roberto was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 38 counts of wire fraud.
Monique Jones was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 25 counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Mekayda D. Jones was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Okechukwu F. Iwuji pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The defendants obtained funds from victim investors and wired the money to accounts controlled by other conspirators. Monique Jones manipulated bank accounts under the names of shell corporations, while Mekayda Jones maintained bank accounts under the names of shell corporations and kept at least 10% of victim funds. Iwuji, a Nigerian citizen, obtained at least $475,710 from Roberto and other conspirators and transferred some funds to Nigerian bank accounts.

Collaborative Effort

United States Attorney Shawn N. Anderson expressed his feelings on the matter, stating, “This far-reaching conspiracy targeted 60 victims, mostly residing in Guam. These scams can be challenging to investigate and prosecute due to their interstate and transnational nature. Our success in this matter is a collaborative effort between various jurisdictions, led by exceptional work from prosecutor Marivic P. David.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill added, “These types of inheritance scams, which promise enormous returns, are investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If an offer appears too good to be true, it probably is. If you believe you have been a victim of such a crime, contact the FBI at (800) 225-5324 or report it to tips.fbi.gov.”

Investigating Agencies

The investigation was led by the FBI Guam Resident Agency, with the assistance of FBI field offices in Dallas and Atlanta, Homeland Security Investigations in Orlando, Florida, the U.S. Secret Service in Dallas, and the Guam Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Marivic P. David, First Assistant United States Attorney and Criminal Chief in the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.