The United States Department of Justice has said that after completing his 75-month jail term for defrauding Americans, convict Edwin Okoronkwo will be deported to Nigeria.
Okoronkwo and his wife, Juliet Okoronkwo, both permanent residents, had defrauded Americans through a catfish scheme, using stolen identities to disguise themselves as a high-ranking member of the US military to defraud their victims.
Juliet was also sentenced to 25 months’ imprisonment for her role in the scheme, in which she used phone calls to lure 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 personas.
“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 license information.”
Edwin was ordered by the judge to pay restitution to the tune of $342,535.00 to some of the victims, serve a supervised release for three years, and face 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,” the statement noted.
