A 42-year-old Nigerian man, Isaiah Ikere has pleaded guilty to defrauding over 15 Americans and organizations out of more than $1 million through various internet scams. The fraudulent activities, which spanned from 2015 to November 2019, included romance scams, lottery frauds, and business email compromise (BEC) schemes.
These scams primarily targeted elderly and isolated victims, causing significant emotional and financial harm.
Okere appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman in New York, where he admitted his role in the conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
He collaborated with members of the transnational criminal group Black Axe to carry out these schemes. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, stated, "Isaiah Okere and his co-conspirators preyed on elderly and vulnerable victims, some of whom lost their entire life savings. This office’s global reach ensures that he will be held accountable in the United States for his crimes."
The scams led some victims to believe they were in romantic relationships with Okere and his associates, prompting them to drain their retirement savings and even borrow money from family and friends. One victim reported becoming suicidal after losing her savings to the scam. In addition to romance schemes, Okere used fraudulent lottery schemes to trick victims into making payments to access non-existent cash prizes.
He also employed BEC fraud to induce a corporate victim in Manhattan to release company funds under false pretenses by impersonating the company's founder.
Okere was arrested in South Africa in December 2021 and extradited to the U.S. on August 23, 2024.
He now faces a potential five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His accomplice, Timy Hakim, was sentenced to two years in prison in 2023 and ordered to pay over $1.4 million in restitution.
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