A United States District Court in California has convicted Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), over a $2.1 million bribery scheme linked to oil drilling rights in Nigeria.
Okoronkwo, 58, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the US, was found guilty on multiple charges, including three counts of unlawful monetary transactions, one count of tax evasion, and one count of obstruction of justice.
The conviction came after a four-day trial in August, during which prosecutors presented evidence that Okoronkwo received the bribe from Addax Petroleum, a Swiss subsidiary of Chinese oil giant Sinopec, under the guise of consultancy fees.
The payment was allegedly made to secure favorable financial terms for Addax’s drilling operations in Nigeria.
Okoronkwo used nearly $1 million of the illicit funds to purchase a home in Valencia, California, and failed to declare the bribe money in his 2015 tax returns.
When questioned by federal agents in 2022, Okoronkwo allegedly obstructed justice by claiming the funds belonged to a client.
The jury rejected his defense and found him guilty on all counts. Judge John F. Walter, who presided over the case, scheduled sentencing for December 1, 2025.
Okoronkwo faces up to 35 years in prison, with 10 years each for unlawful transactions and obstruction of justice, and five years for tax evasion.
