U.S. court indicts Nigerian Tochukwu Nwaneri for $20 million fraud; risks 30 years in jail

A United States of America’s court has indicted a Nigerian, Tochukwu Nwaneri, and his ally, Vickie Smith, for their involvement in fraudulent scheme totalling $20 million.

Messrs Nwaneri and Smith are facing prosecution and indicted for their role in an advance-fee loan scheme in which they allegedly fraudulently obtained more than $20 million from an Idaho business owner (Victim-1).

The Department of Justice in a statement on Wednesday said the duo “were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering.

“If convicted, Mr Nwaneri and Smith each face a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and up to 10 years for each count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property.”

Mr Nwaneri, 51, made his initial appearance on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Raymond E. Patricco, about two months after his co-defendant Smith, 66, made her initial appearance on October 22, 2025.

According to Department of Justice, the duo enriched themselves by falsely promising to provide Victim-1 with a financing opportunity of a $140 million business loan through a purported Singapore-based lender in exchange for significant advance fees.

Their indictment showed that Smith and Nwaneri used the fees paid by Victim-1 for various personal expenses and wired the funds to family members and offshore bank accounts.

The court will determine their sentences after conviction. However, the date for Mr Nwaneri’s sentence has yet to be announced.(peoples gazette)