Los Angeles-Based Nigerian Lawyer Convicted in $2.1 Million Bribery Scheme Linked to Chinese Oil Company
A federal jury in California has found Nigerian-American lawyer Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo, 58, guilty of receiving a $2.1 million bribe while serving as an officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL). The bribe was tied to securing favorable drilling rights for Addax Petroleum, a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned energy giant Sinopec.
Okoronkwo, also known as Pollie, practiced law in Los Angeles and specialized in immigration, family, and personal injury cases. Despite that, prosecutors argued he used his former position as general manager of NNPCL’s upstream division to secretly broker oil deals.
The Bribe and Cover-Up
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in October 2015 Addax wired $2,105,263 to Okoronkwo’s Los Angeles law firm account, disguising the payment as legal fees. Prosecutors said the money was actually a bribe meant to secure drilling rights that could save the company billions.
The supposed engagement letter with a Lagos address was fabricated, and Addax executives who questioned the payment were reportedly dismissed. To conceal the scheme, Okoronkwo deposited the funds into his law firm’s trust account, making it appear like client money.
He later used $983,200 of the funds for a down payment on a Valencia home, but failed to report the income on his 2015 federal tax return.
Obstruction and Lies to Investigators
When questioned in 2022, Okoronkwo allegedly lied to federal investigators, claiming the $2.1 million represented client funds and denying he used it to purchase a home.
The jury convicted him of three counts of transactional money laundering, one count of tax evasion, and one count of obstruction of justice.
Sentencing and Penalties
U.S. District Judge John F. Walter has scheduled sentencing for December 1, 2025. Okoronkwo faces a maximum of:
- 10 years in prison for each money laundering count,
- 10 years for obstruction of justice, and
- 5 years for tax evasion.
In total, he could serve up to 25 years in federal prison. He remains free on a $50,000 bond until sentencing.
Investigation and Prosecution
The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab, Nisha Chandran, and Alexander Su.
