Omoyoma Christopher Okoro, a 50-year-old Nigerian man, was sentenced to 100 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for his role in a large-scale fraud scheme.
The sentencing, which took place on September 19, 2024, also included a restitution order of $22,565,929.18, according to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Okoro was found guilty of multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud affecting a financial institution, and bank fraud, following a five-day jury trial in September 2023.
The prosecution outlined that Okoro, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Nigeria, was involved in a fraudulent scheme targeting U.S. attorneys from 2006 to 2010.
The scheme, known as the “attorney collection scheme,” involved Okoro and his accomplices contacting U.S. attorneys under the guise of needing legal representation. They would claim to be owed money due to business transactions or settlements and would eventually send counterfeit checks purportedly issued by U.S. banks for deposit into the attorneys’ escrow accounts. The attorneys were instructed to wire a portion of the funds to foreign bank accounts, typically located in East Asia, before realizing the checks were fake.
Evidence presented at trial indicated that Okoro communicated with various members of the conspiracy and facilitated the fraudulent transactions, leading to significant financial losses for the victimized attorneys and their banks. It is estimated that over $23 million was obtained through this scheme, with attempted fraud totaling over $80 million.
This case is part of a broader investigation into the attorney collection scheme, which has seen other defendants prosecuted, including individuals from Canada and Nigeria. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys.
Okoro’s sentencing underscores ongoing efforts to combat sophisticated fraud schemes targeting legal professionals in the United States.
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