NORFOLK, Va. — A Suffolk man will spend over nine years in prison after he was convicted for taking part in a multi-million dollar international fraud scheme.
According to court documents, 44-year-old William Onyebuchi Ogbonna spent at least three years conspiring with local, national, and international conspirators to steal over $3.9 million from hundreds of unwitting victims.
The victims were subjects of lottery, inheritance, romance, and real estate scams, among other types of fraud, who were tricked into sending money to dozens of bank accounts Ogbonna opened in his name, in the fake name “Donald Miller,” and in the name of various business entities he created to further the scheme.
Ogbonna, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Nigeria, would take a percentage, and then send the remaining money to Nigeria, China, and other countries.
Prosecutors said most victims were elderly and many became destitute as a result of Ogbonna and his conspirators’ actions.
“Elder justice has been a priority for this office for the past two years and this case is proof positive of that commitment. We are combatting these scams through education and awareness, deterrence, and prosecution,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in a news release.
