The United States government has filed additional charges against Allen Onyema, CEO of Air Peace, in connection with a $20 million bank fraud case. Onyema, wanted in the U.S. for the past five years, has denied any wrongdoing. However, a new indictment has been issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, bringing fresh charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Onyema allegedly submitted false documents to U.S. authorities in 2019 in an attempt to stop an investigation and unfreeze his bank accounts. The investigation centers on Onyema’s use of his airline, Air Peace, to allegedly commit fraud by misrepresenting funds intended for the purchase of aircraft.
Onyema and his co-defendant, Ejiroghene Eghagha, have been evading arrest warrants issued by U.S. and Canadian authorities since 2019. Prosecutors claim that the duo moved millions of dollars from Nigeria to U.S. bank accounts under the guise of buying aircraft, using fake documents and contracts to facilitate the transfer of funds.
In the latest charges, prosecutors accuse Onyema of presenting a falsely dated contract to U.S. authorities in a bid to obstruct the investigation. The new charges add to the original 36 counts of conspiracy, money laundering, bank fraud, and identity theft filed against Onyema and Eghagha.
Despite the ongoing case, Onyema remains in Nigeria and has yet to appear in court to face the charges. An Air Peace spokesperson dismissed the new developments, stating that Onyema’s legal team would respond formally in due time. The CEO has consistently denied the allegations and vowed to defend his innocence in U.S. courts. However, five years later, neither he nor Eghagha has made an appearance before the court.
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