A Georgia investment adviser has been sentenced to seven years and four months in prison for stealing nearly $10 million from an elderly client through a wire fraud scheme involving unauthorized fund transfers.
Ejiroghene Okuma, 44, was appointed executor of the victim's sister's estate in 2022. He convinced the client that funds were needed for the estate settlement, then transferred the money into bank and brokerage accounts without the client's knowledge or consent.
Prosecutors documented that Okuma used the stolen funds to purchase a Georgia home valued at more than $5 million, obtain a beach club membership worth $1.4 million, and make approximately $340,000 in church donations.
Okuma pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in March and will serve an additional three years of supervised release following his prison term. A separate hearing will determine restitution to the victim.
U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg commented on the case, stating that the sentence serves as a warning to fiduciaries who exploit vulnerable clients. "His sentence should send a clear message to fiduciaries who may be tempted to steal: we will seek lengthy prison sentences to punish those who exploit vulnerable citizens to line their own pockets," Hertzberg said.
