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Onyema, along with Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, previously faced allegations of bank fraud and money laundering in an ongoing case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced the obstruction of justice charges against Onyema in a press release dated Friday, October 11.
According to the statement, “Allen Onyema, the Chairman, CEO, and founder of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, has been charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice for submitting false documents to the government in an effort to end an investigation of him that resulted in earlier charges of bank fraud and money laundering. Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, was also charged for participating in the obstruction scheme, as well as in the earlier bank fraud counts.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office disclosed that Onyema and Eghagha allegedly utilized fraudulent export letters of credit to transfer over $20 million into U.S. bank accounts from 2016 to 2018.
These funds were reportedly earmarked for the acquisition of five Boeing 737 aircraft for Air Peace; however, investigations revealed that documents such as purchase agreements and appraisals were falsified.
The entity listed as the seller, Springfield Aviation, was owned by Onyema and had no legitimate role in the aviation sector.
Additionally, the press release indicated that following the initial charges of bank fraud and money laundering, Onyema and Eghagha allegedly sought to obstruct the investigation by instructing an individual managing Springfield Aviation to sign a backdated contract.
Onyema's legal representatives subsequently presented this contract to U.S. authorities in an attempt to suspend the investigation and restore access to his bank accounts, which resulted in further allegations of obstruction of justice.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan indicated that Onyema purportedly utilized his airline as a facade for fraudulent activities and subsequently sought to impede the investigation. He emphasized that the thorough efforts of federal investigators were instrumental in uncovering the obstruction scheme, ensuring that the defendants faced accountability.
“After allegedly leveraging his airline company as a disguise to perpetrate fraud against the United States banking system, Onyema, along with his co-defendant, purportedly engaged in further fraudulent activities in a failed effort to obstruct the government’s inquiry into his actions,” stated U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. He further remarked, “The diligence of our federal investigative partners unveiled the defendants’ alleged obstruction scheme, allowing for accountability regarding their aggravated attempts to hinder a federal investigation.”
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, underscored that these cases reflect the Drug Enforcement Administration’s dedication to identifying and prosecuting individuals involved in fraud and money laundering.
The statement also indicated that this case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) initiative, which aims to dismantle high-level criminal organizations that threaten U.S. financial systems.
Onyema and Eghagha are presumed innocent until proven guilty, with the responsibility resting on the U.S. government to establish the charges beyond a reasonable doubt as the trial unfolds.
On November 22, 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced in a press release that Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, the CEO of Air Peace, faced charges of bank fraud and money laundering.
It is alleged that Onyema transferred more than $20 million through U.S. bank accounts by using forged documents related to aircraft purchases. Additionally, Ejiroghene Eghagha, the Chief of Administration at Air Peace, was also charged with fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to U.S. authorities, Onyema exploited his airline and nonprofit organizations to execute the fraudulent activities, moving upwards of $44.9 million between 2010 and 2018. The investigation uncovered that the documentation supporting these transactions was falsified, and it is claimed that Onyema laundered over $16 million.