Victims lost $400,000

10:42 AM CST on Tuesday, February 10, 2004

From 11 News Staff Reports

HOUSTON -- A federal jury has convicted a Nigerian national living in Houston of conspiracy and 13 counts of wire fraud.

Ambrose Kizito Agwuibe is also in the country illegally.

The 43-year old was on trial for almost three days on charges he defrauded Americans by sending them e-mails in which he claimed he needed help getting a box containing $22 million dollars through U.S. Customs.

The scheme involved telling victims they could get 15 percent of the money if they would take procession of the box and pay for shipping costs, handling fees and other expenses.

In all, United States Attorney Michael Shelby says victims all over the country were cheated out of more than $400,000.

A co-conspirator, Patrick Omu, pled guilty in September 2003 for his part in the e-mail scheme and will be sentenced on May 7, 2004.

Both men face a maximum of five years in prison for conspiracy and 20 years in prison for each wire fraud conviction.

Judge David Hittner will sentence Ambrose Kizito Agwuibe on April 30.