PALM BEACH SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND BOCA RATON POLICE BUST PROPERTY SCAMMERS

PBSO in collaboration with Boca Raton Police Services Department and federal agencies successfully resolved a complex scheme involving the impersonation of property owners and the fraudulent negotiation of vacant lots. This scheme spanned from April 2022 to April 2023, which included two attempts and one successful negotiation of properties in the City of Lake Worth Beach. The investigation revealed that multiple properties in Palm Beach County were targeted by impersonators using sophisticated fraudulent documents, including altered driver’s licenses, to mimic real owners’ personal identifiable information (PII). The documents featured consistent backgrounds and were used in both Lake Worth Beach and Boca Raton. Boca Raton Police Department played a pivotal role in linking similar cases in Boca Raton to those in Lake Worth Beach. The breakthrough came when the PBSO processed physical closing documents, revealing latent prints that led to the identification of the main suspect, Uwa Nosakhare, a Nigerian national. Nosakhare was observed on video surveillance at various FedEx locations sending fraudulent closing documents, further implicating him in the fraud. Further investigation uncovered that the successful negotiation proceeds, which totaled $143,060.86, were received by a co-conspirator, who quickly transferred these funds through various means, including international money transfers and cryptocurrency exchanges. The scheme findings were referred to the FBI, which led to a grand jury indictment in July 2024. Nosakhare faced multiple charges, including aggravated identity theft and mail fraud. He was later apprehended by Homeland Security Investigations in October 2024, as he attempted to flee to Canada. On March 27, 2025, Nosakhare pled guilty to federal counts of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, and restitution. After his imprisonment, Nosakhare is to surrender to immigration for removal from the United States.