SMYRNA, Georgia — A Smyrna financial adviser was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for stealing nearly $10 million from an elderly client.
A federal judge sentenced Ejiroghene O. Okuma, 44, to seven years and four months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Okuma pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in March.
The court will determine restitution during a separate hearing.
What happened: Prosecutors said Okuma gained complete access to the client’s brokerage account in 2016. He began embezzling money in 2022 by falsely claiming he needed funds to administer the client’s sister's estate.
Okuma later opened an unauthorized brokerage account connected to the client’s trust and transferred about $9 million into it without the client’s knowledge, prosecutors said.
Where the money went: Authorities said Okuma used the stolen funds to buy a $5.2 million home in Vinings and a roughly $1.4 million beach club membership. He also donated about $340,000 to his church.
What they’re saying: U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said Okuma abused the trust placed in him and exploited a vulnerable client for personal gain.
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