THE United States government has indicted Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, for obstruction of justice by the submission of 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.
According to a statement by the US Attorney Office, Northern District of Georgia, the Air Peace’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ms Ejiroghene Eghagha, was also charged with participating in the obstruction scheme, as well as in the earlier bank fraud counts.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney, Ryan K. Buchanan.
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The statement noted that the diligence of United States’ federal investigative partners revealed the defendants’ alleged obstruction scheme, making it possible for the defendants to be held accountable for their aggravated conduct of attempting to impede a federal investigation.
Allen Onyema
“These cases represent the continued commitment of the Drug Enforcement Administration to identify and hold accountable those who engaged in fraud and money laundering,” said Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, Mr Robert J. Murphy.
“Allegedly, Onyema and his accomplices fraudulently used the U.S. banking system in an effort to hide the source of their ill-gotten money,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service of the Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office, Ms Lisa Fontanette.
“Today’s superseding indictment is indicative of the dedication IRS-CI special agents and our law enforcement partners have, as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, to neutralize threats to the United States from criminal organizations.
“The charges announced today demonstrate the criticality of diligence and truth in criminal justice proceedings,” said Steven N. Schrank, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta that covers Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and our partners are committed to pursuing those who seek to exploit our nation’s financial system and any efforts to cover up illegal activity.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, “The superseding indictment, and other information presented in court: Onyema, a Nigerian citizen and businessman, is the CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline founded in 2013. Between 2010 and 2018, Onyema travelled frequently to Atlanta, where he opened several personal and business bank accounts. More than $44.9 million was allegedly transferred into his Atlanta-based accounts from foreign sources.”
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The statement said beginning in approximately May 2016, Mr Onyema, together with Ms Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by the Air Peace chairman.
It noted that the letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace and were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals. The documents purported to show that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia.
The statement claimed that the supporting documents were allegedly fake as Springfield Aviation Company LLC was owned by Mr Onyema and managed on his behalf by a person with no connection to the aviation business.
It said Springfield Aviation never owned the aircraft, noting that the company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist. “Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the manager’s identity to further the fraud. After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts,” the statement said.
In May 2019, the statement noted, upon discovering that he was under investigation in the Northern District of Georgia for bank fraud, Mr Onyema and Ms Eghagha allegedly directed the Springfield Aviation manager to sign a key business contract, but also specifically told her to not date the document.
In October 2019, Mr Onyema 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.
“Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, 61, of Lagos, Nigeria, and Ejiroghene Eghagha, 42, of Lagos, Nigeria, were indicted on November 19, 2019, on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit credit application fraud, and three counts of credit application fraud. Additionally, Onyema was charged with 27 counts of money laundering, and Eghagha was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft. On October 8, 2024, they were both charged in a superseding indictment alleging an additional count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The case is criminal action number 1:19-CR-464.”
The statement noted that the indictments only contained charges, stating that the defendants were presumed innocent of the charges and it would be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Commerce, and Department of Treasury are investigating this case.”
2019 indictment
In 2019, Air Peace chairman was accused of involvement in a $20 million fraud by the United States Department of Justice, who alleged that he “leveraged his status as a prominent business leader and airline executive while using falsified documents to commit fraud.”
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Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, Mr Robert J. Murphy, who commented on the indictment said, “Allen Onyema’s status as a wealthy businessman turned out to be a fraud. He corrupted the U.S. banking system, but his trail of deceit and trickery came to a skidding halt. DEA would like to thank the many law enforcement partners and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office who aided in making this investigation a success.”
Thomas J. Holloman, IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office, had said: “This case is a prime example of why IRS-CI seeks to partner and leverage its expertise in an effort to thwart those seeking to exploit our nation’s financial system.”
Onyema denies allegations
Meanwhile, Air Peace has dismissed charges , saying they were mere allegations. Air Peace management said in a statement on Sunday that the charges levelled against Mr Onyema and Ms Eghagha extended stemmed from earlier accusations of financial misdeeds dating back several years.
“While the charges have been expanded, it is essential to emphasise that both Onyema and Eghagha remain innocent and these are mere allegations, and the case is still in court,” the statement said.
“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.
“It is important to note that Onyema and his legal team have consistently cooperated with authorities throughout this process, and Air Peace continues to operate without disruption, upholding our commitment to delivering top-notch services to our valued customers.”
