Founder and CEO of Air Peace Indicted in the US, CNN News has reported.
The Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Ifechukwu Onyema,56, has been charged with bank fraud and money laundering.
He was charged for moving more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of aeroplanes.
The Chief of Administration and Finance of Air Peace, Ejiroghene Eghagha,37, has also been charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme.
Founder And CEO Of Air Peace Indicted In The US
According to U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak, “Onyema allegedly leveraged his status as a prominent business leader and airline executive while using falsified documents to commit fraud.
We will diligently protect the integrity of our banking system from being corrupted by criminals, even when they disguise themselves in a cloak of international business.”
This sentiment was echoed by Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, who said,
“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 successful.”
Founder And CEO Of Air Peace Indicted In The US
“Onyema set up various innocent-sounding multi-million-dollar asset purchases that 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.”
From May 2016, Onyema and 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 purported to fund Air Peace’s purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes.
The letters were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals proving that Air Peace purchased the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia.
However, the supporting documents were fake — Springfield Aviation Company LLC, owned by Onyema and managed by a person with no connection to the aviation business, never owned the aircraft, and the company allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist.
Several government agencies are investigating this case.
Onyema is a Nigerian citizen and businessman. He’s 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.
Between 2010 and 2018, he transferred $44.9 million into his Atlanta-based accounts from foreign sources.
It should be noted that the defendants are innocent of the charges until proven otherwise and beyond reasonable doubt.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/ceo-nigerian-airline-indicted-bank-fraud-and-money-laundering
Founder And CEO Of Air Peace Indicted In The US
