Allen Onyema, Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, and Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, have been charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly submitting false documents to the government . This move was reportedly an attempt to halt an investigation into earlier charges of bank fraud and money laundering.
Onyema, who founded Air Peace in 2013, is accused of using his airline as a cover to commit fraud on the United States’ banking system. He and Eghagha allegedly used export letters of credit to transfer over $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema. However, the supporting documents were fake, and Springfield Aviation Company LLC, the business supposedly selling the aircraft, was owned by Onyema .
After discovering he was under investigation in May 2019, Onyema and Eghagha allegedly attempted to cover their tracks by backdating a business contract. Onyema also laundered over $16 million of the proceeds by transferring it to other accounts.
The defendants face multiple charges, including:
– *Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud*: Onyema and Eghagha allegedly worked together to defraud banks.
– *Bank Fraud*: Onyema is accused of using false documents to obtain funds.
– *Money Laundering*: Onyema allegedly transferred illicit funds to other accounts.
– *Aggravated Identity Theft*: Eghagha used someone else’s identity to further the fraud.
