U.S. government fingered the company in 2019 as one of the firms allegedly used by the CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, to perpetrate bank fraud and money laundering.

Authorities in the U.S. state of Georgia have dissolved Springfield Aviation Company LLC allegedly used for bank fraud and money laundering by the CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema.

The company, incorporated and based in Georgia State, is said to have been deficient in filing its annual registration, after the U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against its principals, including Mr Onyema in 2019.

Owned and controlled by Mr Onyema, Springfield Aviation Company LLC was formed on April 4, 2016, as a domestic limited liability company to carry on any legitimate business, documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES show.

But on November 22, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the charging of Mr Onyema, accusing him of moving more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of aeroplanes.

Mr Onyema was charged alongside Air Peace Limited’s Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha.

They both face 36 charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and credit application fraud in connection with the $20million scheme.

One of the companies used in committing the alleged offences is Springfield Aviation LLC, prosecutors said.

“Beginning in approximately May 2016, Onyema, together with Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Georgia said in a November 22, 2019 statement announcing the indictment of the two suspects.

“The letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace. The letters were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals proving that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia.

“However, the supporting documents were fake — Springfield Aviation Company LLC, which is owned by Onyema and managed by a person with no connection to the aviation business, never owned the aircraft, and the company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist. Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the manager’s identity to further the fraud.

“After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts.”


Firm’s dissolution

However, since the charges were filed, nothing has been heard of the progress in the case and Mr Onyema is not known to have visited the U.S. ever since.

Bob Page, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Georgia, declined comments when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him for updates on the case.

But this newspaper has now obtained information that Springfield Aviation, the U.S. company Mr Onyema used in making the problematic transactions, has now been dissolved.

In an October 22, 2020 letter to the company, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Secretary of State and the Corporation Commissioner of the State of Georgia informed the firm that it had been dissolved.


“I, Brad Raffensperger, the Secretary of State and the Corporation Commissioner of the State of Georgia, hereby certify under the seal of my office that Springfield Aviation Company, LLC a Domestic Limited Liability Company was mailed a notice in accordance with Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and was involuntarily or administratively dissolved or its certificate of authority revoked by the Office of Secretary of State on 10/22/2020 for failure to file its annual registration and/or failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office in this state,” the document, tiled Certificate of Administrative Dissolution/Revocation, read.

“This certificate is issued pursuant to Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and is prima-facie evidence of the existence or nonexistence of the facts stated herein.”

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Springfield Aviation LLC (with Control Number 16035630) became deficient in filing its annual registration following the indictment of its principals in 2019.

Mr Onyema has kept away from the U.S. while the company’s only staffer, based in Georgia, was also charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

The firm’s long-term registration agent, Roy Hadley, E. Jr., of Atlanta, also appeared to have cut off links with the embattled corporation.

He did not respond to an August 7, 2020 correspondence from the Georgian Secretary of State informing him of the state’s intention to dissolve Springfield Aviation and requesting him to show cause why that should not be done.


Other indicted firms

Findings by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Springfield Aviation LLC is one Mr Onyema’s four overseas business entities.

The others are Springfield Aviation Company Inc., registered in Canada on August 22, 2018 (with incorporation number 1095798-4), Bluestream Aero Services Inc., also formed in Canada on August 22, 2018 (with incorporation number 1095801- and Air Peace Limited (Johannesburg) founded on December 9, 2020 (with identification number K2020918092).

At least $10.4 million of the $14.3 million seized from Mr Onyema in the case are held by the Bank of Montreal, Canada, by the two Canadian-registered firms. While $5,634,842.04 is held in the name of Bluestream Aero Services Inc., the sum of $4,593,842.05 is said to be held in the name of Springfield Aviation Inc.

The balance of the funds – $4,017,852.51 – is held by JP Morgan Chase Bank in the name of Springfield Aviation Company, LLC, Mr Onyema’s U.S.-based entity that has now been dissolved.


Air Peace responds

PREMIUM TIMES contacted Air Peace whose head of public affairs, Stanley Olisa, said he knows nothing about the dissolution of Springfield Aviation Company, LLC.

“I am not aware of that, I will not be able to comment.”

When asked about the status of the previous indictment, Mr Olisa said: “the case is in public domain, there are reports on it, so that is it.”

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/517432-exclusive-air-peace-ceo-allen-onyemas-company-dissolved-in-u-s.html

Lalasticlala

They have inherited Nigeria money again.

Thread for Tinubu urchins and Igbo haters to masturbate.

You people should come and have your orgasms here.

Ndi ala.

Air Peace will still remain the biggest indigenous Airline and no ewedu guzzler will change it.

Meanwhile, I’ve observed that Premium Times has an agenda against Igbo elites and their interest or businesses.

It was Pandora papers against Peter Obi the last time…

Now it’s about how Allen Onyema is a fraudster.

In every big business man , there's a shady deal

Dissolved on grounds of what conviction? This case have lingered for long. The concerned US state govt ought to have speed up the prosecution, conviction and subsequent punishment of Allen Onyema or Air Peace if found guilty.Something must be wrong some where.

No clean business man from that side of Nigeria.

No surprise here

They are MAD.

They expected Onyema to keep Nigeria's looted money in US banks so that US can be using the money to fund their jobless citizens and drug addicts. Onyema is helping to manage Nigeria's looted money well. Other idiots like James Ibori, Dizaini Allison-Madueke and others are keeping our looted money in foreign banks, but Onyema used it to buy aeroplanes and created jobs for Nigeria's youths. This however does not mean that he too will not be judged one day, but it is we Nigerians that will judge him in Nigeria's courts, not useless white pigs.

[s]

Penguin2:
Thread for Tinubu urchins and Igbo haters to masturbate.

You people should come and have your orgasms here.

Ndi ala.

Air Peace will still remain the biggest indigenous Airline and no ewedu guzzler will change it.

Meanwhile, I’ve observed that Premium Times has an agenda against Igbo elites and their interest or businesses.

It was Pandora papers against Peter Obi the last time…

Now it’s about how Allen Onyema is a fraudster.

[/s]
Nowhere was ewedu and amala was mentioned in the write. Ewedu eaters are not the ones that dissolve the company. Tinubu urchins are not U.S.

Attack U.S.

Na wa o, but if this man is really wanted like they claim, why don't they put him on interpol watchlist, I mean he runs an airline that still travels all over the world and has permit to operate in most countries, he sometimes travels with his passengers to those countries...

They should extradite him if they really need him

Nawa ohh something fishy . In other news, i hope GTB wins their case against that innoson fraud.

So 4king what?

The igbophobia igbos go through is too much , yet u don't want them to leave.

They should send onyeama to America.


What's good for kyari is good for onyeara onyema

So because Allen Onyema said the aviation industry will shutdown in 3days then they start this witch hunting? How come when the US state of Georgia's attorney General's office was contacted, they declined comment?

Witch hunt.....

[img]https://i./3OJxM.gif[/img]

I think the Nigerian government should put this criminal on one of Air peace planes together with Abba kyari and hand them over to the American FBI. He's under an indictment for money laundering in the US.

In fact Abba kyari is a learner

Mr Onyema was charged alongside Air Peace Limited’s Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha.

They both face 36 charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and credit application fraud in connection with the $20million scheme.

Na them, Igbo amaka

Allen Oyenma is still wanted by the FBI but they are not wailing and crying for his extradition.
meth cannibal HYPOCRITES.

Like Abba Kyari like Allen Onyeama


Only hushpyppy was foolish enough to ignore Nigeria hence he was extradited


.

Air peace go carry Wahala for Russia ni

Hmmn. No comments

Russian oligarchs say hi
Shebi una dey support West, u think they give a Bleep about u

Ha

I was reading carefully until I saw Premium Times

Premium Times only does investigation journalism when it applies to Igbos

They will become so professional and detailed in their publication

But believe them to your own peril

It was still Premium Times that focused on Peter Obi when the Pandora papers were released until they where criticised by the attention and energy they used on that

Luckily Obi was able to clear his name on national television and countered all their concocted allegations and analysis

Allen Onyema will come out if this stringer and with his head held high

But know that Premium Times is a paper that thrive on ethnic propaganda and sentiments

Racoon:
Dissolved on grounds of what conviction? This case have lingered for long. The concerned US state govt ought to have speed up the prosecution, conviction and subsequent punishment of Allen Onyema or Air Peace

READ!!
The reason for the dissolution is in the post.

Femiwilli:
So 4king what?

The igbophobia igbos go through is too much , yet u don't want them to leave.

Bro na US govt dissolve the company, no let tribalism take over ur brain

This man probably truly committed this crime. With the way this country is, you will hardly see a stinking rich man who made legit money.

I don't blame anyone anymore. Nigeria is designed to make its citizens a bunch of failures.