United States v. Achiekwelu

900 F. Supp. 812, 1995 WL 561880
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedOctober 16, 1996
DocketCrim. No. 95-0376-A
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 900 F. Supp. 812 (United States v. Achiekwelu) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Achiekwelu, 900 F. Supp. 812, 1995 WL 561880 (E.D. Va. 1996).

Opinion

AMENDED SENTENCING MEMORANDUM1

ELLIS, District Judge.

Introduction

In September 1994, defendant Henry Achiekwelu and two fellow Nigerian nationals, Johnnie Okolie and Fred Kachi, were indicted for nine counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 2. The wire fraud was committed in connection with a complex, international scheme to defraud Dr. Jai Gupta, a McLean, Virginia resident, of more than $4.2 million. Okolie and Kachi were never apprehended and remain fugitives, living in Nigeria where extradition efforts have thus far failed. Defendant, on the other hand, was apprehended in Switzerland and extradited to this District, where in April 1995 he was tried by a jury and convicted on all nine counts of wire fraud.

At the initial sentencing hearing, the Court, sua sponte, noted that the unusual and aggravated facts of this case warranted consideration of an upward departure under the Guidelines. See 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Specifically, the Court directed the government and the Probation Officer to consider whether an upward departure on any ground was warranted in this case. Accordingly, the sentencing was continued to give the parties an opportunity to explore any bases for an upward departure. Ultimately, the government and the Probation Officer recommended departing upward on a variety of grounds. The government also urged a two-level upward adjustment pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2Fl.l(b)(3)(A) on the ground that defendant falsely represented himself to be a representative of a foreign government. Defendant responded by opposing this two-level upward adjustment and all grounds for an upward departure, claiming instead that he [814]*814was entitled to a two-level credit for acceptance of responsibility notwithstanding his not guilty plea. This sentencing memorandum records the Court’s rulings on these issues and sets forth the sentence ultimately imposed on defendant.

I

The fraud scheme defendant and his co-conspirators concocted and carried out is as bizarre as it is complex. So bizarre, indeed, that one reading the record is likely to believe that it is the plot of a picaresque novel, rather than the true story of avarice, evil and criminality that it is.

The story begins in September 1992, when Gupta received a letter from a man in Nigeria whom he had never heard of named Chief Johnny Okolie. The letter offered Gupta a business opportunity. Okolie said in his letter that he had received Gupta’s name, and that of Gupta’s company, EER Systems, from the Chamber of Commerce in Lagos, Nigeria. Okolie went on in the letter to say that he represented Macbos Holdings, which he claimed had installed lighting at Maidugu-ri Airport in Nigeria for the Nigerian Ministry of Civil Aviation in 1982. Okolie said that the government had not paid the $28.5 million due on this contract because it claimed Macbos had over-billed the Ministry. Okolie explained further that now the Nigerian government had agreed to pay $18.5 million and later the remaining $10 million. Okolie also related that Macbos wanted to send that money to a bank account outside Nigeria and was looking for someone trustworthy to whom he could send the money. In this regard, Okolie said Macbos wished to send the $18.5 million to Gupta and EER in the United States, in return for which Okolie offered to Gupta 15 percent commission on the $28.5 million. Finally, the letter noted that if Gupta was interested in the deal, Okolie would invite him to Nigeria to meet with the officers of Macbos. Gupta promptly wrote back to Okolie and told him he was interested in learning more about his offer. Thereafter, Gupta communicated with Okolie by phone and by fax letters throughout September and early October 1992.

In mid-October 1992, at Okolie’s request, Gupta agreed to go to Lagos to close the deal. Okolie first required EER to provide him with what he called a “proforma invoice”, for which he provided a model. This invoice would supposedly charge the Nigerian Ministry of Civil Aviation for $18.5 million worth of lighting at the Maiduguri Airport. Despite the fact that EER never did any work for any Nigerian government agency, Gupta directed an employee to make up an invoice. Gupta then sent the false invoice off to Oko-lie’s company, Jones Ventures, on October 7, 1992. Although the false invoice referenced a payment of $18.5 million, Gupta understood from Okolie that EER would ultimately be sent a total of $28.5 million, with a first phase payment of $18.5 million, followed by a second phase payment of $10 million, for which Gupta would receive a commission of more than $4.27 million.

On October 18, 1992, Gupta went to Nigeria and met Okolie in person. The first night Gupta was there, Okolie took him to a private home of Fred Kachi. Okolie introduced Gupta to Kachi and to defendant, who was represented to be a deputy governor at the Central Bank of Nigeria and a consultant to the Nigerian Ministry of Finance. The Nigerians talked with Gupta about the transfer of the $28.5 million to EER’s bank account in Virginia. Kachi and defendant told Gupta that, after meeting him, they trusted him, and they would have the Central Bank of Nigeria transfer the money.

The second day of his stay in Nigeria, Gupta went to dinner with Kachi and Okolie. Kachi showed him a document that appeared to be from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Gupta was told it was an authorization to pay the $28.5 million to EER. Okolie and Kachi also told him, however, that before the money could be deposited into EER’s account, Gupta had to pay, in advance, a 2.5 percent income tax on the $28.5 million or $712,500 to the Nigerian government. Gupta agreed to do so.

On approximately the fourth day of Gupta’s stay in Lagos, Okolie and defendant took Gupta to a plain, unmarked office building, which they told him was the Central Bank of Nigeria. They parked in a multi-story ga[815]*815rage next to the building and walked in. There were no security guards inside, and no signs identified the building. Inside the building, Okolie, defendant and Gupta entered an office with a large desk and a conference table. Behind the desk was a man whom Gupta was told was Rasheed Williams, a Central Bank of Nigeria official. Williams greeted them and said, “Congratulations, your money’s been approved. However, what have you done about the taxes?” Okolie and defendant told Williams that Gupta would pay the taxes. Williams then told Gupta that the money was at Bankers Trust in New York awaiting Williams’ instruction to transfer it to EER’s account. As soon as the taxes were paid, and a receipt was presented to the Central Bank of Nigeria, he said the money would be transferred to EER’s account. Williams also told Gupta that the Central Bank of Nigeria could only wire transfer money on Thursdays, so to get the money that week, Gupta would have to pay the tax immediately.

Following the meeting with Williams, Gupta arranged to pay the taxes. Defendant provided Gupta with the bank transfer information and Gupta then called and faxed EER’s controller, Pramod Gupte, directing him to wire transfer $712,500 to Midas Merchant Bank in Lagos. At trial, Gupta testified that he wired this money to Lagos through the Australia and New Zealand Bank in London.

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Bluebook (online)
900 F. Supp. 812, 1995 WL 561880, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-achiekwelu-vaed-1996.