Onyema was accused of submitting false documents to halt an investigation into earlier bank fraud and money laundering charges.
The airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, is also charged for his role in the obstruction and previous bank fraud schemes.
The US Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia in a statement on Friday said on 8 October 2024, they were both charged in a superseding indictment alleging an additional count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
The U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said the Air Peace CEO allegedly used his airline as a front for fraudulent activities targeting the U.S. banking system.
Buchanan also alleged that when the investigation into the actions intensified, both Onyema and Eghagha reportedly tried to obstruct justice by presenting falsified documents.
“After allegedly using his airline company as a cover to commit fraud on the United States banking system, Onyema, along with his co-defendant, allegedly committed additional crimes of fraud in a failed attempt to derail the government’s investigation of his conduct,”
“The diligence of our federal investigative partners revealed the defendants’ alleged obstruction scheme, making it possible for the defendants to be held accountable for their aggravated conduct of attempting to impede a federal investigation,” he said.
Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, Atlanta Division, Robert J. Murphy, stressed the DEA’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for fraud and money laundering.
Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Special Agent Lisa Fontanette added that the superseding indictment reflects the persistent efforts of law enforcement to dismantle criminal threats, especially through task forces like the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF).
The charges stem from Onyema’s alleged involvement in a scheme where, between 2010 and 2018, he transferred over $44.9 million from foreign sources into his U.S. bank accounts.
Beginning in May 2016, he and Eghagha reportedly used falsified export letters of credit to transfer more than $20 million into Onyema’s U.S. accounts under the guise of purchasing Boeing 737 aircraft for Air Peace.
However, the documents supporting the transactions were allegedly fake and Springfield Aviation, the company involved, was reportedly owned by Onyema and had no real connection to aviation.
In 2019, when Onyema learnt he was under investigation, he and Eghagha allegedly conspired to submit a backdated contract to U.S. authorities to mislead the investigation and unfreeze bank accounts.
Onyema and Eghagha were first indicted in November 2019 on charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, multiple counts of bank fraud, credit application fraud, and money laundering.
The recent indictment adds charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The case remains under investigation, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court..
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Tpain should show him the way naw.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion in this is, if people can invest what they have stolen from Nigerian government, we can have a shot at improving our economy since EFCC has proven themselves inept. All they do is collect 1% of what you have stolen, then let you go.
If all our politicians are forced to invest all the stolen money, at least jobs will be created.
Personally, I hate crime, but if Tpain can be let go, then they should extend the grace
This was what used to happen before until Bubu with his lack of wisdom began to go after their investment, so they all began taking the monies outside to invest
DeleteThe US are harsh on fraud, unlike the UK. I hope to God they are innocent!
ReplyDeleteThey should come on get out. Once they can no longer use you for their own selfish gain, they come up with all sorts of nonsense. I blame this our skin colour.
DeleteAnon 12:19. My friend!!!! Stop being sentimental!!!. If truly he is innocent tell him to go to the US. Stop all this beer parlour talk.
Delete12:43 Na really beer parlour talk. 🤣🤣🤣🤣Ignorant peasant.
DeleteLet justice take it's course , if found guilty. And others take a cue from it.
ReplyDeleteHiaaaaa na waoooo
ReplyDeleteThe case is still under investigation let see how it goes ....I just hope they are innocent oo..
Hello iya Boys
I knew the west would never let this man be. I knew they would never forgive him for flying Air peace into the Uk. For those of u that wud say that was Uk n this is US, i kno what m saying. Wen i say west i mean Europe n US. Cos last time i checked, they have each other’s back
ReplyDeleteColonialism never died, it just reshaped and reformed. Not only the west, didn’t one Arab land ban Nigerian aircrafts too and ensured only theirs could fly that route. They will always present an illusion of an equal playing field but the game is rigged for those who created the game. Somehow, our over trusting azzes just never seem to learn.
DeleteI agree with you, one down there that doesn’t kno one bit about international politics is saying that we are throwing sentiments around. No, it’s not sentiment, we are just saying what these whites are doing to us. They mk the rules and keep shifting the goal post. This guy up there matched the lion’s tail the day he crashed ticket prices and flew his aircraft in the uk air space.
Delete14:05, they are the types who believe if it is on tv it must be true. Let them go research the history of these three letter agencies and all that they have done in their histories. None of them are based on altruism or true justice. They are there to preserve a status quo. If wars and lives of millions of innocent civilians can be taken based off proven lies, what more of what can be done to a sole person. They call us sentimentals but forget so much. What of Snowden and Assange and their revelations, I guess they were sentimentals too. How quickly we all forget.
DeleteHe is spoiling their ticket market with cheaper flights. They want to take him out.
ReplyDeleteMost of the money will come from Nigerian politicians mark my words. Let them jail them, trace the money and indict all
ReplyDeleteThese sentimental Nigerians will not see it from this prism of yours. Someone is alleged to have used his airline to launder money, and instead of asking hard questions about the issue they are going about talking off-point. That is why progress and development will continue to elude Nigeria until we change our attitude.
Delete@ Anon11.02 and 11:03, if there was no fraudulent activity(ies) no one will charge him on trump up charges, there is a reason why we have brains. Logic over silly sentiment... If they don't want him, they won't grant him a license to fly in the first place! If he is guilty, let them jail him and his cohorts and if not, he will walk. The West will take years to investigate, but once they go public, they have adequate evidence to prosecute. Common sense is indeed not common!
ReplyDeleteThose anon you referred to represent the mindset of a lot of Nigerians. They will never be dispassionate in analyzing issues. How does money laundering allegation translate to persecution for entering international carrier business? Very warped.
DeleteHmmmmm. When you are an outsider you will always be an outsider and Nigerian and Black on top of it. Unfortunately, some of these men forget who they are as their wealth grows and think they are protected. Dude is getting his nig wake-up call. Good luck to him, even if the charges are proven false his reputation will already tarnished.
ReplyDeleteSince you blacks think you are always targeted because of your skin colour ..why don't you try as much as possible not to give them something to investigate? And if not ..sue them for defamation!
ReplyDeleteGo and read about the imbalance of the criminal justice system in the US and it’s prejudice against people of color first, then you come back and we’d have this discussion. Kindly come with the statistics too. Then we’d compare notes.
Delete13:49, Your first three words just tell me your crawled right out of Satan’s azz hole. Crawl back up and stay in the filth. Mtsscchhwww
DeleteYou have to prove your innocence sir.🤔🤔🤔
ReplyDeleteAfricans should stop going abroad and travel within Africa 🌍.
ReplyDeleteAre these governments not stealing from Congo, Sudan and Nigeria! Is that not fraud?
They can't use the UK! because, it will be too obvious! If you own properties in the UK and America! Start selling! They are coming for your properties; unless Trump wins! You will own nothing and you will be happy.
Even Richard Branson's eyes saw shege when he started Virgin. So many govt backed dirty ticks were formed against him. Is it ;ikely that money laundering was involved? yes. But does he deserve to be dragged like this, probably not. Most politicians and multi millionaire business men all over the world do not have clean hands.
ReplyDelete