Uwa Nosakhare, a 26-year-old Nigerian national, has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for orchestrating a sophisticated real estate fraud scheme in Miami, Florida.
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed the sentence in a statement released on Monday, April 7, 2025. Nosakhare had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and mail fraud in January.
The Scheme: Selling What He Didn’t Own
Between April 2022 and April 2023, Nosakhare and his accomplices posed as legitimate property owners to sell vacant lot properties in Palm Beach County without the real owners’ consent.
The scheme involved:
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Using stolen personal identifiable information (PII) to forge IDs, notary credentials, and financial documents.
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Convincing unsuspecting buyers to transfer funds to accounts controlled by the fraudsters after the fake sales were completed.
Law Enforcement Response
The case was investigated by the FBI Miami, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), and the Boca Raton Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne praised the collaborative effort, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chapman led the prosecution. Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture proceedings related to the case.
This conviction is part of ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to crack down on real estate fraud, which has been on the rise, especially involving vacant or unmonitored properties.