Prominent leader of ‘Black Axe’ extradited to United States for conspiring to engage in internet scams, money laundering
NEW JERSEY – A leader of the Cape Town Zone of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as “Black Axe,” who was extradited from South Africa to the United States on wire fraud and money laundering charges, had his initial appearance Monday in Trenton federal court, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.
Enorense Izevbigie, aka “Richy Izevbigie,” aka “Lord Samuel S Nujoma,” 49, originally from Nigeria, is charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy, spanning from 2011 to 2021. He had his initial appearance Monday, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and was detained pending trial.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Izevbigie was a leader of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as “Black Axe,” an organization headquartered in Benin City, Nigeria that operates in various countries. Black Axe is organized into regional chapters known as “zones,” and Izevbigie was a leader within the Cape Town, South Africa, Zone.
From at least 2011 through 2021, Izevbigie and other conspirators worked together from Cape Town to engage in widespread internet fraud involving romance scams and advance fee schemes. Many of these fraudulent narratives involved claims that an individual was traveling to South Africa for work and needed money or other items of value following a series of unfortunate and unforeseen events, often involving a construction site or problems with a crane. The conspirators used social media websites, online dating websites, and voice over internet protocol phone numbers to find and talk with victims in the United States, while using a number of aliases.
The conspirators’ romance scam victims believed they were in romantic relationships with the person using the alias and, when requested, the victims sent money and items of value overseas, including to South Africa. Sometimes, when victims expressed hesitation in sending money, the conspirators used manipulative tactics to coerce the payments, including by threatening to distribute personally sensitive photographs of the victim.
The conspirators used the bank accounts of victims and individuals with United States-based financial accounts to transfer the money to South Africa. On certain occasions, the conspirators convinced victims to open financial accounts in the United States that the conspirators would then be permitted to use themselves. In addition to laundering money derived from romance scams and advance fee schemes, the conspirators also worked to launder money from business email compromises. In addition to their aliases, the conspirators used business entities to conceal and disguise the illegal nature of the funds.
The wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges each carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greatest.
Izevbigie, along with six named co-defendants, were arrested in South Africa in 2021. The six named co-defendants are awaiting extradition to the United States.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim can visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/blackaxe for information about the case, including a questionnaire for victims to fill out and submit.
