CEO of Nigerian airline indicted for bank fraud and money laundering

ATLANTA – Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, the Chairman, CEO, and founder of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, has been charged with bank fraud and money laundering for moving more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of airplanes. The international airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, has also been charged with bank fraud and committing aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme.

“Onyema allegedly leveraged his status as a prominent business leader and airline executive while using falsified documents to commit fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We will diligently protect the integrity our banking system from being corrupted by criminals, even when they disguise themselves in a cloak of international business.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented on the indictment, “Allen Onyema’s status as a wealthy businessman turned out to be a fraud. He corrupted the U.S. banking system, but his trail of deceit and trickery came to a skidding halt. DEA would like to thank the many law enforcement partners and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office who aided in making this investigation a success.”

“This case is a prime example of why IRS-CI seeks to partner and leverage its expertise in an effort to thwart those seeking to exploit our nation’s financial system,” said Thomas J. Holloman, IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office. “With the importance of our banking system to the movement of money around the world, those attempting to use intricate schemes to commit bank fraud through the use of falsified documents and other means should know that the odds are now heavily stacked against them as law enforcement is combining its talents to protect the sanctity and integrity of the nation’s financial system.”

“Onyema setup various innocent sounding multi-million dollar asset purchases which were nothing more than alleged fronts for his scam,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “I’m proud to be part of a team of law enforcement agencies that come together to identify and attack criminals that attempt to profit from the exploitation of our nation’s financial systems.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Onyema, a Nigerian citizen and businessman, is the founder and Chairman of several organizations that purport to promote peace across Nigeria, including the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony, International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development, and All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited.

Beginning in 2010, Onyema began travelling frequently to Atlanta, where he opened several personal and business bank accounts. Between 2010 and 2018, over $44.9 million was allegedly transferred into his Atlanta-based accounts from foreign sources.

Onyema is also the CEO and Chairman of Nigerian airline Air Peace, which he founded in 2013. In years following the founding of Air Peace, he traveled to the United States and purchased multiple airplanes for the airline. However, over $3 million of the funds used to purchase the aircraft allegedly came from bank accounts for Foundation for Ethnic Harmony, International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development, All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited, and Every Child Limited.

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 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.

Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, 56, of Lagos, Nigeria, and Ejiroghene Eghagha, 37, of Lagos, Nigeria, were indicted on November 19, 2019, on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit credit application fraud, and three counts of credit application fraud. Additionally, Onyema was charged with 27 counts of money laundering, and Eghagha was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Commerce, and Department of Treasury are investigating this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section and Lead Strike Force Attorney, Irina K. Dutcher, and Christopher J. Huber, Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds Section, are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Office of International Affairs.

This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the Atlanta Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking and money laundering organizations designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets or Regional Priority Organization Targets and their affiliates impacting the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia.


https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/ceo-nigerian-airline-indicted-bank-fraud-and-money-laundering

This is the original DOJ complaints from last year, it's pretty much the same.


.

Pentagon007:
fake news!!! Where is the DOJ publication bearing this? The thing is, No matter the amount of bile, propaganda and bitter mind from ndi Waste, Air Peace will continue to soar higher.

Air Peace to the world!!!

it's not fake news oh
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/ceo-nigerian-airline-indicted-bank-fraud-and-money-laundering

Edudevine82:
Are u done. You re afraid he might in no distance time become the richest man in African hence ur propaganda. Too late try another person

I’m sure it is Donald Trump that gave the directive for the investigation, on request from his good pal President Buhari?

Openbusiness:
it's not fake news oh
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/ceo-nigerian-airline-indicted-bank-fraud-and-money-laundering

NIGERIA IS AN INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN NATION NOT A STATE IN AMERICA AND OUR CITIZENS HAVE THE MAXIMUM PROTECTION OF THE NIGERIAN STATE.



WE WILL NOT BE HANDING ANYBODY OVER TO AMERICA, FOR WAT THEY MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE HERE IN NIGERIA, THEIR OWN COUNTRY.



AS A MATTER OF FACT, AMERICA SHOULD RETURN HUSHPUPPI THAT THEY KIDNAPPED FROM DUBAI.

Fleshly:
Boy space booking no be here �.

But back to the topic, I see this as another sensational fake news. But assuming these men are guilty of the alleged crimes, the question to ask is how is stealing $44Mil able to finance an airline company? Any jumbo jet even if it is 2nd, 3rd or even 4th hand used costs more than $50Mil for just one piece. So if Allen onyema stole $25Mil does that equate to him being able to set up an airline company? And that is assuming the news is correct - you see why I said this is silly sensationalism!

But do you know the most painful thing about this joke called fraud allegations? It is that due to our tribal differences you will see some Yorubas and Fulanis celebrating this junk, thinking that by doing so they will be able to pull Onyema down (which btw is not be possible) without realising that they are indirectly snapping their own source of livelihood. Do we know that Air peace has about 23 Pilots who are Yorubas and this was in 2017, maybe by now the numbers would have gone up astronomically. So think of their families and the amount of money Onyema pays as taxes even to the Lagos government amongst other things, before celebrating or trying to act as a useful tool in bringing down another man, based on tribal difference.

It is on this note that I urge all men of good conscience to disregard this news as the fictitious imagination of the author and their US confusionist capitalists, who all they want in the world is to expand their business at the cost of other people's labor.

Hmmmmm with people like you in public domain, NIGERIA hope is Blake. Just read what you wrote again with open mind like you are not the writer.

at the mention of fraud, you'll surely see ibo names and people from niger Delta. nawa ooo

legitnow:
[s][/s]


DAFT, AIR PEACE IS AN INSTITUTION AND NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF ANY INDIVIDUAL.


IT HAS A SEPARATE IDENTITY.


CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME, GO AND INVESTIGATE TINUBU SOURCE OF WEALTH.


ONE MAN CANNOT HAVE ALL THAT COMPANIES AND IT WILL BE LEGIT.

RATHER U ARE AFTER PEOPLE OPERATING ONLY ONE COMPANY.

ARE U NOT MAD

You are happy discussing with a mad man...... Does that not make you too mad.......

IamWonderful:
These are the most industrialised people in Nigeria that turn selling gala of #50 to#50 trillion, These people from the poverty capital of the south are shades of criminality, they ooze terrible corruption and irregularities, their stealing, scamming and swindling is unparallel and unprecedented, they are the first in criminality, non of them can actually come out to say they make their money without any illegality, from bishop of Ozulubu, Emeka Okonkwo, Allen Onyema, Arthur Eze, etc.

Bobo Chicago... is that you?

legitnow:



NIGERIA IS AN INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN NATION NOT A STATE IN AMERICA AND OUR CITIZENS HAVE THE MAXIMUM PROTECTION OF THE NIGERIAN STATE.



WE WILL NOT BE HANDING ANYBODY OVER TO AMERICA, FOR WAT THEY MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE HERE IN NIGERIA, THEIR OWN COUNTRY.



AS A MATTER OF FACT, AMERICA SHOULD RETURN HUSHPUPPI THAT THEY KIDNAPPED FROM DUBAI.

The United States should leave us alone, but Please before we go kindly mention the Nigerian Banks that we’re used in the Aircraft purchases?

[quote author=MrBanner post=93684658]


Oga why are u been wicked Does this look like fraud to you Do you think I'm happy Begin?? Its well. Anybody can fall sick remember.

IamWonderful:
These are the most industrialised people in Nigeria that turn selling gala of #50 to#50 trillion, These people from the poverty capital of the south are shades of criminality, they ooze terrible corruption and irregularities, their stealing, scamming and swindling is unparallel and unprecedented, they are the first in criminality, non of them can actually come out to say they make their money without any illegality, from bishop of Ozulubu, Emeka Okonkwo, Allen Onyema, Arthur Eze, etc.

Please get your 4 cardinal points in check! Thanks

legitnow:



NIGERIA IS AN INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN NATION NOT A STATE IN AMERICA AND OUR CITIZENS HAVE THE MAXIMUM PROTECTION OF THE NIGERIAN STATE.



WE WILL NOT BE HANDING ANYBODY OVER TO AMERICA, FOR WAT THEY MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE HERE IN NIGERIA, THEIR OWN COUNTRY.



AS A MATTER OF FACT, AMERICA SHOULD RETURN HUSHPUPPI THAT THEY KIDNAPPED FROM DUBAI.

Nigeria has an extradition treaty with the USA. (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/ceo-nigerian-airline-indicted-bank-fraud-and-money-laundering). But that's not even the issue here. I posted that link for that other person because it was on an official US govt site, which means the story is not fake. Myself, i didn't know it was true until now.

Oh my God!
It's a coordinated fraud.
Money meant for the capacity building of the repentant militants and other related purposes in the oil region .

[s]

legitnow:



NIGERIA IS AN INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN NATION NOT A STATE IN AMERICA AND OUR CITIZENS HAVE THE MAXIMUM PROTECTION OF THE NIGERIAN STATE.



WE WILL NOT BE HANDING ANYBODY OVER TO AMERICA, FOR WAT THEY MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE HERE IN NIGERIA, THEIR OWN COUNTRY.



AS A MATTER OF FACT, AMERICA SHOULD RETURN HUSHPUPPI THAT THEY KIDNAPPED FROM DUBAI.

[/s]



Stop yelling ignorant rubbish all over the place with your silly all caps.

Cantonese:


"Poverty capital of south". By inference should this be Osun, Ekiti, Ondo or Oyo states? And by the way none of the names quoted by you are from any of those states. Should I remind you of some of the names? Those who are alleged to have emptied the treasury of their states and have created more poor people there.

Odoogu:


if they try to salvage the airline... what happens to the "plenty" of lives the amnesty money would have salvaged form crimes, poverty, hunger and deaths?
you mean well by suggesting so but why should people be using this kinda means to do anything at all?

WILLIE OBIANO AND HIS WIFE ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE ENTERED INTO ARRANGEMENTS FOR AIRPEACE TO LAUNDER SOME OF THE FUNDS IMPROPERLY SIPHONED FROM ANAMBRA STATE TREASURY INTO PROXY ACCOUNTS AND SHELL COMPANIES IN ATLANTA AND OTHER US STATES.

THIS IS CAUSING SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN ANAMBRA STATE >>>


HERES WHY.

EBERECHUKWU OBIANO did the unthinkable when she exported Anambra State funds to Houston, USA and hired several U- Haul trucks, setting up under a bridge there to feed Americans, even dashing them other goodies from bags filled with electronics and other gifts in that oil rich state, and using her front for laundering cash, called the CAFE FOUNDATION while millions of citizens in her home state of Anambra were starving and poverty ridden. She did not care about these poor masses, as her mission was to engage in this PR stunt in preparation to by , as she has continually boasted, for the elective office of Mayor of Sugarland, Texas. In preparation for this, this First Lady has been transferring huge funds from Anambra State treasury to USA using various fronts.
She has applied for US citizenship in order to pursue this objective, but unknown to her, there are several petitions pending against her, both at the EFCC and the United States, even under the presidential proclamation 7750 which deals with corrupt foreign public officials who have domiciles assets, proceeds of corruption from their home countries. Ebelechukwu Obiano’s overbearing and avaricious attitude has cost Governor Willie Obiano dearly. It was said that this was the major reason Willie Obiano couldn’t ascend the position of the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank. It was her attitude that drove the Governor into drunkenness especially when it became difficult for her to conceive.

Mrs Obiano is so razz and uncultured having been raised by a single mother that was busy having children for eight different men. Up till today, people still wonder what could have brought such a cultured and well trained man like Willie Obiano, together with such an uncultured Osodietipia. It’s common knowledge that Mrs Obiano has overturned many Executive decisions that does not favour her business interest. She has even caused letters of appointments made by the Governor to be either withheld or sub-planted with another one. It’s common knowledge that Mrs Obiano does not mind making their home uncomfortable for her husband until he reverses the Exco decisions. She doesn’t care even if by doing that, the husband commits an impeachable The most troubling reversal of Exco decision happened when Madam Governor used her diabolical powers to overrule the Executive Council decisions regarding facility management in the Government Lodges. Despite Exco’s approval of some companies by merit, Osodietipia, the She that must be obeyed,, swung into action to deploy her companies to the various contracts thereby nullifing Executive Council decisions. Till today, her companies are the ones executing all the contracts in all the Government lodges. And the worst is that in the face of all these, the Governor seems so powerless.

Mrs. Obiano's appetite for money is unquenchable to the extent that she does not even understand what is meant by conflict of interest by those in government. She’s everywhere. She’s scheming using known proxies in all ministries. She uses CAFE her pet program as the reason for her excessive acquisitions. She manipulates the State’s IGR through the Wiping Wiper using Dr. Nzekwu and the disgraced and demoted Okey Anyayo. He also uses Mr Luke Aniakor, Emeka Ozumba, and many others as her proxies in moping all the funds from Anambra State. She forced the installation of her brother as the Anambra Market Chairman and he collects over N20m monthly in IGR from the markets in Anambra State but remits a paltry N300k to the state.

Below are some of the companies she uses to execute the facilities management and other contracts in Anambra State against the approval of the Anambra State Executive Council.

1. Golden Fingers
2. Siva Engineering
3. Moses must Win
4. AggapeHoldings
5. Health Ambassadors and Associates
6. Imoyel Construction.
7. Every Child Nig Ltd.
8. Heaven At Last Services
9. Shuhel Nig
10. Rejoice Nig. Ltd,

The ten companies mentioned above are owned 100% by madam governor of Anambra State. She uses some known Nigerian businessmen to transfer funds siphoned from the state treasury to the USA. Those are some of the companies that Mr. Luke Obiakor uses to terrorise Permanent Secretaries in all the Ministries in Anambra State. The slow pace of many contracts and road repairs in Anambra state like the Enugu-Agidi- Nawgwu -Ukwulu road which is not yet done 50% is because the job is under Mrs Obiano even when the contract has been fully paid. The Amawbia-Nise-Nri-Agulu road rehabilitation is not done 30% because Madam Governor is the one handling the repairs and the Commissioner for works dare not query her almost uncompromising attitude to the pace expected of construction companies in Anambra state in execution of these road contracts

1. Paul Obiakor moves millions of naira every week to the governor's lodge at Amawbia. We have records and will unleash this if the governor did not listen to us.

2. Details of all jobs done in all ministries by Mrs Obiano will be published.

3.All the contracts Mrs Obiano cornered at ASUBBEB which she has not done and the ones she barely touched will be published in our subsequent publications.

4. Anambra Roads Maintenance Agency (ARMA) is squarely under Mrs Obiano as she positioned her cousin as the MD of ARMA since it's inception. We have records of all roads she collected money for but refused to execute the repairs.

5. We will publish the names of Mrs Obianos's agents in Ministries, Agencies, MDAs and Parastals of government in Anambra state who Mrs Obiano positioned as Commissioners and MDs. These people make returns to her every month.

6. We will expose local and international bank accounts of Mrs. Obiano. Monies she siphoned and lodged in accounts under the name of her mother, her daughter presently engaged in her housemanship Medical studies in America, her brother as well as proxies in America and also those monies she lodged with a guy widely known as her boyfriend in America. She recently forced the Anambra State Tenders Board to approve the sum of 183 million for the purchase of a brand new customized latest model BMW jeep for her use as well as 77 million Naira for the purchase of another jeep for her crony. All the documents have been duplicated.

Now she took of to America on 1st September 2020 for another round of money laundering of our funds. Her husband Willie the governor is set to join her in USA next week.
Anambra State is in a bad state and people keep quiet and allow this looting couple to steal the state coffers dry.



Ayamelum Frontiers for Democracy and Good Governance.

BlueRayDick:
Na wa o. Niger Delta people Don too suffer, the kuku guy practically used Amnesty programme money to set up Air peace for Onyeama to manage on his behalf while the Niger Deltans continue to suffer lack of pipe borne water, lack of affordable Healthcare in their Communities, etc....And NDDC own still dey dere o

I'm telling you my brother!

What a pity!

As long as the money is not deposited in foreign accounts or used for luxury private jets no problem.
If all the politicians had used their looted cash to build Industries, infrastructures and create jobs for citizens, no wahala.

favor914:
Bloody Liar, TheWill is based in Los Angeles CA. established in 2009.

lol.. U dey see TheWillNigeria.com but you think you are dealing with TheWill.com.

Your reaction is exactly what the people behind this wanted... And they got it.. Me, I no b mumu sha

dignity33:
You guys no dey tire, US is bunch of hypocrite they are the reason Nigeria remain underdeveloped.

they steal public funds and then open a "business" just to mitigate the havoc they cause. it's not proper in every way.

this is what we Yourubas term "owo Abu la fi se Abu la lejo"

Odoogu:


they steal public funds and then open a "business" just to mitigate the havoc they cause. it's not proper in every way.

this is what we Yourubas term "owo Abu la fi se Abu la lejo"

YES Ooo...


DAT IS Y U MUST WORK HARDER TO EXTRADITE TINUBU TO USA.

legitnow:
AMERICA IS A RACIST SHITHOLE NATION.


THEY KEEP LOOKING FOR BLACK PEOPLE TO STOCKPILE IN THEIR RACIST PRIVATE PRISON INSTITUTION.



NIGERIANS MUST WAKE UP NOW AND SIT UP. THIS IS A NATION THAT TURNED OUR PEOPLE TO SLAVES.



THEY CANNOT BE DEPORTING US BUT WEN IT IS TIME FOR PRISON, GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MOVE US INTO AMERICA.



MAKE UNA WAKE UP NOW BEFORE IT WILL REACH THE POINT OF SHOUTING BLACK LIVES MATTER.

But your people are supporting Donald Trump because some people claimed he will give them Biafra...has Donald Trump now become your enemy because America wants to pull down one of your own?

olumide4christ:


But your people are supporting Donald Trump because some people claimed he will give them Biafra...has Donald Trump now become your enemy because America wants to pull down one of your own?

AMERICA IS AFTER AIRPEACE BECOS THEY WANT TO CORNER THE NIGERIA MARKET FOR THEMSELVES.


NIGERIA IS A RICH COUNTRY AND EVERYBODY WANT OUR CONTRACTS, AS A MEANS TO OUR RESOURCES.


MAKE UNA TRY DEY GET SENSE.

nellybadas:
In as much as I hate to admit it, as I don't support stealing. I have to swallow the humble pie here.
If other "thieves" were investing their loot in this country, wouldn't it have been better off? Directly or indirectly. Air peace provides a means of livelihood for hundreds of Nigerians.
The baggers stealing our collective resources are so mindless, they invest in other countries. Kindly note all the so called developed countries willingly embrace them and after improving their economy immensely, they hypocritically come out to tell us they want to return recovered loot.

Thats the big picture. Other countries don't mind if you invest the money in their place, but when the money moves away from their economy,then investigation will start