Air Peace Chairman and CEO, Allen Onyema, faces serious legal issues in the United States. He is facing charges obstructing justice. This comes after a superseding indictment claiming he submitted false documents to authorities. The aim was to end an investigation that previously resulted in charges of bank fraud and money laundering. The United States Attorney’s Office, North District of Georgia said all these in a statement.

Furthermore, Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, is also implicated. He faces accusations of participating in the obstruction scheme as well as the earlier bank fraud counts.

Buchanan on Air Peace chairman

“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,” stated U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.

Buchanan emphasized the importance of the investigative partners. He noted, “The diligence of our 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.”

Commitment to Justice

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, reinforced the commitment to tackling fraud. He remarked, “These cases represent the continued commitment of the Drug Enforcement Administration to identify and hold accountable those who engaged in fraud and money laundering.”

Moreover, Assistant Special Agent Lisa Fontanette from the IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office commented, “Allegedly, Onyema and his accomplices fraudulently used the U.S. banking system in an effort to hide the source of their ill-gotten money.”

Indictment details of Air Peace CEO

The indictment highlights the crucial role of IRS-CI special agents. They are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces. Their goal is to neutralize threats from criminal organizations.

Steven N. Schrank, Acting Special Agent in Charge, emphasized the importance of truth in these proceedings. He stated, “The charges announced today demonstrate the criticality of diligence and truth in criminal justice proceedings.” He reiterated the commitment to pursue those exploiting the nation’s financial system.

Onyema, a Nigerian citizen and businessman, founded Air Peace in 2013. Between 2010 and 2018, he frequently traveled to Atlanta. During this period, he opened various personal and business bank accounts. Allegedly, over $44.9 million flowed into his Atlanta accounts from foreign sources.

Allegations of fraud

Beginning in May 2016, Onyema and Eghagha allegedly caused banks to transfer more than $20 million into accounts controlled by Onyema. They used export letters of credit purportedly to fund the purchase of five Boeing 737 planes for Air Peace.

Supporting documents included purchase agreements and appraisals. However, these documents were allegedly fake. The Springfield Aviation Company LLC, supposedly selling the aircraft, was owned by Onyema and had no real ties to aviation.

Furthermore, Eghagha allegedly aided this scheme. He directed a manager at Springfield Aviation to send false documents to banks. Additionally, he used the manager’s identity to further the fraud. Ultimately, Onyema laundered over $16 million of the fraudulent proceeds by moving it to other accounts.

Key events unfold

In May 2019, Onyema learned he was under investigation. He and Eghagha directed the Springfield Aviation manager to sign a critical business contract without dating it. In October 2019, Onyema presented this contract, falsely dated, to the government.

This action aimed to halt the investigation and unfreeze his bank accounts. Consequently, both Onyema and Eghagha were indicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy and bank fraud.

Ongoing legal proceedings

On October 8, 2024, they faced additional charges. These included obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The case is designated as criminal action number 1:19-CR-464.

However, the indictments only contain charges. The defendants are are innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, the burden of proof lies with the government at trial.

The investigation involves multiple agencies, including the DEA, IRS, and Homeland Security Investigations.