The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has sentenced Chima Hyginus Nkwocha, popularly known as “Young Billionaire,” to prison for cheating by impersonation and money laundering.

Nkwocha was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Emeka Nwite on a two-count charge.

The charges included impersonating several individuals to defraud an American, Linda Wheeler, of $345,000, and laundering the funds through a Nigerian bank account.

One of the charges against Nkwocha detailed how he impersonated multiple aliases, including Frank Nils, Frank Cobert, Frank Brown, and Chiress Riffatt, using Gmail and Google Voice accounts.

The charge read: “That you, Chima Hyginus Nkwocha (AKA Frank Nils, Frank Cobert, Frank Brown & Chettot), sometime in 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did fraudulently impersonate… with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtaining a cumulative sum of $345,000 from Linda Wheeler, an American.”

Nkwocha pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Evidence and Recovery

The EFCC’s counsel, Lanre Adeola Olarewaju, reviewed the case and detailed the items recovered during Nkwocha’s arrest in August 2024 in Abuja’s Lugbe area.

Recovered items included:

A black Mercedes Benz ML 350 (registration no. B-2);

Two gold necklaces with pendants, a gold bracelet, and $2,200 in cash;

₦90,280,934.00 in a Zenith Bank account belonging to Ginux Global Nigeria Limited, where Nkwocha was the sole signatory.

Additionally, the EFCC seized:

A three-bedroom terrace duplex at Cookies Court 2, Ocean Palm Estate, Sangotedo, Lagos;

A three-bedroom bungalow and two self-contained apartments at Standard Estate, Galadima, Abuja;

A plot of land measuring 300 square meters at Eko Beach City, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

Justice Emeka Nwite, after reviewing the evidence and Nkwocha’s guilty plea, convicted him on both counts.