This is contained in a statement made available on the US Department of Justice website.
According to the statement, the duo of Ibekie and Aniukwu deceived their victims by telling them that they had received substantial inheritances that required some money to claim.
The duo would then request their victims to send some amounts of money with a promise to refund them once the inheritances were claimed.
It also noted that the duo carried out romance scams by establishing romantic relationships with their victims and demanding them to send money after they had built trust in their victims.
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The statement noted that following their arraignment on no fewer than 14 counts, the duo pleaded guilty to their various changes.
Upon their guilty plea, Ibekie was sentenced to 20 years jail term while Aniukwu was sentenced on November 8 to 10 years jail term.
Meanwhile, an accomplice of Ibekie and Aniukwu, who is a US citizen, Jennifer Gosha, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18 following her guilty plea.
The third defendant, Jennifer Gosha, 52 years old, 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 December 18, 2024.