A U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia has issued an arrest warrant for Ejiroghene Eghagha, Air Peace’s Chief of Finance and Administration, marking a significant development in the multi-million dollar fraud case against the airline’s CEO, Allen Onyema ¹. The warrant, issued on October 8, brands Mrs. Eghagha a fugitive and orders her to be taken into custody and produced in court.
The indictment alleges that Onyema, in 2017, raised letters of credit to purchase Boeing aircrafts he had already bought months prior, in a manner akin to money laundering. He established Springfield Aviation in 2016, hiring Ebony Mayfield, who had no aviation qualifications, to manage the business. Onyema purchased five Boeing aircrafts and later raised letters of credit to U.S. banks to pay Springfield for the same aircrafts, submitting fake supporting documents [1).
In a desperate attempt to keep the funds and outsmart U.S. law enforcement, Onyema and Eghagha created a fraudulent contract, “Aircraft Sales and Management Agreement between Springfield Aviation and Air Peace,” backdating it to 2016. The act of falsifying documents to prevent forfeiture of the seized funds was deemed a conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice.
Onyema has been the subject of an active arrest warrant since 2019, making him a fugitive in the United States. As the CEO of an airline that flies international routes, Onyema risks arrest and extradition if he travels to the U.S. or its allied nations.
Charges Against Onyema and Eghagha:
– Bank Fraud: Onyema allegedly used false documents to transfer over $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts.
– Money Laundering: Onyema laundered over $16 million of the proceeds.
– Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice: Onyema and Eghagha falsified documents to prevent forfeiture of seized funds.
– Obstruction of Justice: Onyema and Eghagha attempted to obstruct the investigation.
The case is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to combat financial fraud and money laundering.
