America court renews arrest warrant for Air Peace chief executive officer Allen Onyema
The Federal District Court for Northern Georgia, Atlanta, United States of America (USA) has reissued an order for the arrest of the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace Limited, Allen Onyema over a $20 million bank fraud case that has been pending against him for five years.
Penpushing reports that the renewed October 9, 2024 arrest warrant, followed the addition of more charges to the case against Onyema and his co-defendant – Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance.
The United States of America (USA) government filed the superseding indictment on October 8, 2024, alleging new counts of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice, while the two counts added to the pre-existing 36 counts of conspiracy, money laundering, bank fraud, credit application fraud, and identity theft.
Penpushing further reports that the superseding indictment brought the counts to 38, while Assistant United States of America (USA) Attorney Christopher Huber on the day the superseding indictment was filed, filed for a new arrest warrant after the first one issued against Onyema in 2019.
The Deputy Clerk of the court on the following day signed and delivered the new arrest warrant to the United States of America (USA) Marshal, the American body that carries out the arrest of fugitives.
Penpushing also reports that, a magistrate at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Russell Vineyard it will be recalled that preparatory to the filing of the charges in 2019, issued a corresponding warrant of arrest for Messrs Onyema and Eghagha in Canada.
The American prosecutors had sought the warrant to enable Canadian law enforcement authorities to take the suspects into custody if sighted in their jurisdiction, and in another arrest, warrant issued on November 19, 2019, Justin Anand, an American magistrate of the same court, ordered the America Marshals Service to take them into custody.
Penpushing reports that in the charges pending since 2019, the American government accused Onyema of moving suspicious funds from Nigeria to American bank accounts between 2017 and 2018 with the funds allegedly disguised as being meant to be used to purchase aircraft.
The Chief Executive Officer of the airline and his co-defendant, allegedly organised the fraud by applying for export letters of credit for the transfer of funds from a Nigerian bank account to the bank account of Onyema’s Atlanta-Georgia-based firm, Springfield Aviation LLC, between 2016 and 2017.
Penpushing further reports that United States of America (USA) prosecutors said the defendants applied for the funds purportedly for the purchase of aircraft by Air Peace from Springfield Aviation, while Onyema is said to own the airline, a major Nigerian commercial airline, and the America-based Springfield Aviation.
The prosecutors in same vein, said the aircraft referenced in each of the export letters of credit sent to the American banks was never owned or sold by Springfield Aviation, stressing that the defendants made false statements and reports, and willfully overvalued property to influence the actions of the American banks.
Penpushing also reports that Eghagha was alleged to have sent the false documents, including fabricated purchase agreements, bills of sale, and valuation documents, to Ebony Mayfield to sign and submit to the respective banks in support of the letters of credit.
The airline boss on his part had engaged Ms Mayfield, who was at various times, a bartender, restaurant waitress, and nightclub dancer, in 2016, to act as a manager of Springfield Aviation, and enter into contracts on the firm’s behalf.
Penpushing reports that the prosecutors said Mayfield had no connection to the aviation business outside of her role with Springfield Aviation and had no education, training, or licensing in the review and valuation of aircraft, including aircraft components.”
The United States of America (USA) District Court in October 2022 sentenced Ms Mayfield to three years’ probation for her roles in helping to facilitate the alleged fraud, while the prosecutors insisted that Onyema founded and used Springfield Aviation to facilitate large transfers of funds from his Nigerian bank accounts to the United States of America (USA).
Penpushing further reports airpeace owner allegedly moved about $15 million from Springfield Aviation’s account with a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Atlanta, Georgia, to his personal savings account with the same bank in 27 transactions in 2017.
The each of the 27 transactions stands alone as a charge of money laundering, and in May 2019, upon discovering that he was under investigation in the Northern District of Georgia for bank fraud, Messrs Onyema and Eghagha allegedly directed the Springfield Aviation manager, Ms Mayfield, to sign a key business contract, but also specifically told her to not date the document.
Penpushing also reports that Onyema in October 2019 allegedly caused his attorneys to present that same contract, now falsely dated as being signed on May 5, 2016 (prior to the bank fraud that began in 2016), to the government in an effort to stop the investigation and unfreeze his bank accounts.
The submission of the alleged false documents forms the basis for the new count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice in the superseding charges, while the American government added two counts to the charges in a superseding indictment last month.
Penpushing further reports that the America Attorney Office, Northern District of Georgia, announcing the superseding indictment in a statement accused Onyema and his co-defendant of 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.
The prosecutors argued that Onyema submitted false documents to United States of America(USA) authorities in 2019 in an effort to stop the investigation and unfreeze his bank accounts regarding the alleged $20 million bank fraud.
Penpushing also reports that the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Eghagha accused of participating in the alleged obstruction scheme, as well as in the earlier bank fraud counts, is Onyema’s co-defendant in the case.
“After allegedly using his airline company as a cover to commit fraud on the United States’ banking system, Onyema, along with his co-defendant, allegedly committed additional crimes of fraud in a failed attempt to derail the government’s investigation of his conduct,” the statement said.
Penpushing reports that Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lisa Fontanette, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office declared that, Onyema and his accomplices allegedly fraudulently used the United States of America (USA) banking system in an effort to hide the source of their ill-gotten money
The Chief Executive Officer of Airpeace through his counsels have consistently maintained his innocence, and in reaction to the filing of the superseding indictment last month, emphasized that he and Eghagha remain innocent adding that these are mere allegations, and the case is still in court.
“Our legal team is fully engaged with the matter and is working tirelessly to ensure that justice prevails. We remain confident that, through due process, the truth will be revealed, and our CEO and co-defendant will be exonerated’, he added
Penpushing further reports that the airline authorities explained that Onyema and his legal team have consistently cooperated with authorities throughout the legal process and that Air Peace continues to operate without disruption, upholding its commitment to delivering top-notch services to its valued customers.
“We want to reassure the public that these legal proceedings will not impact the safety, reliability, or day-to-day operations of Air Peace. The dedication and focus of our staff remain steadfast as we continue to provide you with the best aviation experience in Nigeria and beyond,” the statement read
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