Nigerian Lawyer Sentenced to Seven Years for Money Laundering

Paulinu Okoronkwo, a 58-year-old dual citizen of the United States and Nigeria, was sentenced to seven years in prison by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California for money laundering related to a $2.1 million bribe.

Okoronkwo was convicted in August on three counts of money laundering under 18 U.S.C. 1957. Following his conviction, the California State Bar suspended his law license on an interim basis.

The bribe was allegedly paid by Addax Petroleum, a Switzerland-based subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned petrochemical conglomerate, to secure drilling rights in Nigeria. The payment was disguised as legal fees, with a fake Lagos office address used in correspondence.

Okoronkwo was also ordered to pay $923,824 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and forfeiture of $1.03 million. The court found that Okoronkwo had used the laundered funds for personal expenses, including a $983,000 down payment on a home in Valencia, California.