Title: Two Nigerian Nationals Sentenced for Money Laundering and Bank Fraud Scheme in Boston

Two men, Chibuzo Ogbonna (35) and Chukwuma Nwankpa (34), both Nigerian nationals, were sentenced in a Boston federal court for their involvement in an expansive money laundering and bank fraud scheme.

Sentencing and Restitution

• Ogbonna was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to pay $6.5 million in restitution.
• Nwankpa received a five-year sentence and was ordered to pay $2.2 million.

Involvement in Fraud Schemes

The pair used various methods to launder funds:

• Purchasing preloaded gift cards
• Wiring money to bank accounts
• Buying luxury vehicles

They benefited from multiple fraud schemes, allegedly including:

1. Romance scams
2. Business email compromise scams
3. Pandemic-related fraud schemes

Response from Law Enforcement

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski commented, “Money laundering threats our financial institutions, undermines the integrity of our economy, and harms individual victims.”

Agencies Involved

The case was investigated by:

1. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
2. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service
3. The U.S. Secret Service
4. The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations
5. The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section

Indictment and Background

Ogbonna and Nwankpa were indicted in December 2021 and have been in custody since then. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat money laundering and other financial crimes under the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF).