A man, Chima Nkwocha, also known as “Young Billionaire,” has been sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding an American named Linda Wheeler of $345,000.

According to a statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nkwocha was sentenced after being arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on two counts related to cheating by impersonation and money laundering.

One of the charges stated: “That you, Chima Hyginus Nkwocha (also known as Frank Nils, Frank Cobert, Frank Brown, and Chettot), did fraudulently impersonate individuals on Gmail and Google Voice using the email addresses frankcorbett272@gmail.com and chriressrifatt@gmail.com, with the intent to defraud Linda Wheeler, an American, out of a total of $345,000, and received the equivalent in naira through Ginux Global Nigeria Limited’s account No. 1228782493 at Zenith Bank, thereby violating Section 22(2) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, punishable under Section 22(4) of the Act.”

The EFCC reported that Nkwocha pleaded guilty to the charges. Following his plea, prosecution counsel Lanre Adeola Olanrewaju presented the case against him and requested a conviction.

Nkwocha was arrested in August 2024 in the Lugbe area of Abuja after the EFCC’s Advanced Fee Fraud Section received intelligence.

During his arrest, authorities recovered several items, including a black Mercedes Benz ML 350, two gold necklaces with pendants, a gold bracelet, $2,200 in cash, and N90,280,934.00 in the Ginux Global Nigeria Ltd account at Zenith Bank, where Nkwocha was the sole signatory.

Additional assets seized included a three-bedroom terrace duplex in Lagos, a three-bedroom bungalow and two self-contained apartments in Abuja, and a plot of land at Eko Beach City in Lekki, Lagos, along with two Zenith Bank drafts totaling N8,000,000 dated September 12, 2024, and October 17, 2024. Electronic devices such as an iPhone 13 Pro Max, a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra were also confiscated.

Nkwocha admitted to impersonating the aforementioned individuals to defraud Wheeler and received the naira equivalent through Ginux Global Nigeria Ltd’s Zenith Bank account.

Olanrewaju submitted various pieces of evidence, including Nkwocha’s extrajudicial statements, electronic devices, and forensic investigation reports, all of which were accepted by the court without objection.

Justice Nwite, satisfied with the evidence presented by the EFCC, found Nkwocha guilty.

The court sentenced him to two years in prison, with an option for a fine of N2,000,000.

Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of the following items to the Federal Government of Nigeria: the black Mercedes Benz ML 350, gold jewelry, $2,200 in cash, N90,280,934.00 in the Ginux Global Nigeria Ltd Zenith Bank account, properties the Lagos, Abuja, and Lekki, the Zenith Bank drafts, and the electronic devices recovered.

Nkwocha’s journey to the Correctional Centre began with his arrest for internet fraud.

After being charged and pleading guilty to the two counts, the court sentenced him to two years in prison and ordered the forfeiture of all assets obtained through fraudulent means to the government.