The United States government has filed new charges against Allen Onyema, the founder and CEO of Nigerian airline Air Peace, accusing him of obstruction of justice in a recent indictment.
Onyema is alleged to have submitted falsified documents in an attempt to stop an ongoing investigation into previous bank fraud and money laundering charges.
Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, also faces charges for his involvement in the obstruction and the earlier bank fraud schemes.
On October 8, 2024, the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced a superseding indictment against them, adding charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, the CEO of Air Peace allegedly utilized his airline to conduct fraudulent activities aimed at the U.S. banking system.
Buchanan further claimed that as the investigation intensified, both Onyema and Eghagha allegedly attempted to obstruct justice by submitting 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 Robert J. Murphy, who heads the Atlanta Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), emphasized the agency’s dedication to holding individuals accountable for fraud and money laundering.
Lisa Fontanette, a Special Agent with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), highlighted that the updated indictment underscores law enforcement’s ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal threats, particularly through initiatives like the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF).
The charges against Onyema are linked to an alleged scheme spanning from 2010 to 2018, during which he purportedly transferred more than $44.9 million from foreign sources into his U.S. bank accounts.
Starting in May 2016, Onyema and Eghagha allegedly utilized falsified export letters of credit to channel over $20 million into Onyema’s U.S. accounts, supposedly for purchasing Boeing 737 aircraft for Air Peace.
However, investigations suggest that the transaction documents were counterfeit, and Springfield Aviation, purportedly owned by Onyema, lacked genuine ties to aviation.
In 2019, upon learning of the investigation, Onyema and Eghagha purportedly conspired to submit a backdated contract to U.S. authorities in an attempt to mislead investigators and unfreeze bank accounts.
Initially indicted in November 2019 on charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, multiple counts of bank fraud, credit application fraud, and money laundering, Onyema and Eghagha now face additional charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
The investigation is ongoing, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
(Daily Post)
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