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Court to sentence American involved in Allen Onyema’s $20m alleged bank fraud case

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Allen-Onyema

An American bartender, Ebony Mayfield, who played a key role in the bank fraud case against Air Peace founder, Allen Onyema, will be sentenced on Friday, October 28, 2022.

The prosecutor had accused Mayfield of aiding Onyema in securing $20 million credit with fake documents to procure five Boeing 737 passenger planes from Georgia-based company, Springfield Aviation.

Although Onyema has denied the 36 charges brought against him, which involves; credit application fraud, money laundering, and bank fraud, Mayfield pleaded guilty, claiming he accepted $20,000 to help the Air Peace founder facilitate the money laundering.

She was employed by Onyema despite lacking experience in aviation industry, the prosecutor told the court.

Mayfield’s attorney, Manubir Arora, said the defendant has made amends, “by confessing to law enforcement when arrested, cooperating with federal authorities as the investigation continued, and finally, accepting responsibility.” a court document filed on October 13 and reported by Premium Times on Tuesday disclosed.

The alleged money laundering scheme happened between 2016 to 2017, and over the period of the conspiracy, “Ms. Mayfield was paid approximately $20,000 in total by the co-defendants to sign and file the paperwork at issue.”

Read also:Air Peace boss, Allen Onyema laments rising forex, as dollar hits N616

The co-defendants are Onyema and Air Peace’s Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, both of whom are facing the 36 count charge centered on money laundering.

Mayfield pleaded that the Atlanta court sentence should be conditional release and not the five years imprisonment she faces, as well as the restitution of proceeds from the alleged bank fraud.

Backstory to bank fraud allegation against Onyema

Onyema reportedly requested for export credit from Nigeria to purchase aircraft from Springfield Aviation, but the prosecutor revealed that the Boeing airplanes had belonged to Air Peace, and not Springfield Aviation as the founder claimed.

It was also alleged that Onyema is the owner of Springfield Aviation, which he establishment in Georgia, in 2016, to sell aircrafts and parts, but treated the firm as a third party from which the planes will be bought in order to secure the $20 million.

Findings by the prosecutor showed that Onyema used his savings’ Wells Fargo account to receive $15 million from another Wells Fargo account belonging to Springfield Aviation. The money is allegedly from the export credit he applied for from Nigeria.

While both Onyema and Eghagha have distanced themselves from the allegations without appearing in court, the US prosecutor said the $15 million was made in 27 online transfers, which consists of $100,000 to $1 million sent between March 22 and November 29, 2017.

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