NEWS
Nigerian Man ‘The Black Mentor’ Sentenced To Four Years In US Prison Over $2.7m Investment Fraud Scheme
A Nigerian man who built an online image around wealth creation and real estate investment has been sentenced to 48 months in a United States federal prison after authorities found that his investment scheme caused more than $2.7 million in losses to dozens of victims across the United States and abroad.
Joseph James Nantomah, 49, also known as “The Black Mentor,” was sentenced on September 18, 2026, in the Eastern District of Wisconsin for an investment fraud scheme that prosecutors said took $2,762,798.37 from at least 39 victims between May 2020 and December 2024. The sentence was announced by Brad Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Nantomah entered the United States from Nigeria in 2016 on a visitor’s visa. According to court records, he subsequently developed a false online persona portraying himself as the founder of a successful, multimillion-dollar real estate enterprise.
Using the name “The Black Mentor,” Nantomah organized conferences and classes where he presented himself as someone capable of teaching people how to achieve financial success in the United States.
His “Wealth Flow” conferences became part of the platform through which he attracted people and persuaded them to put money into what he described as his real estate business.
According to federal prosecutors, however, the image of a successful real estate entrepreneur was part of the fraud scheme.
Nantomah allegedly used his conferences, online presence and claims of real estate success to persuade people to entrust him with their money.
The victims were largely Nigerian immigrants and members of Nantomah’s church. Prosecutors said he drew upon their shared cultural background and belief in the American Dream to establish trust before persuading them to send millions of dollars that he claimed would be invested in real estate. He promised investors significant returns from the supposed property investments.
But court records showed that Nantomah did not have the legitimate real estate business or expertise he claimed to possess. Instead, prosecutors said he used the majority of the money obtained from victims to finance an extravagant lifestyle.
The spending allegedly included private jets, luxury vehicles, expensive jewellery and a yacht. Some of the money was also used to maintain the image Nantomah had created for himself, including purchasing honorary doctorate degrees for himself and his wife and paying celebrities to attend his conferences.
The scale of the losses emerged as investigators traced the movement of the money. Between May 2020 and December 2024, at least 39 victims were identified as having lost a combined $2,762,798.37.
The case came to a head during Nantomah’s sentencing hearing, where several victims described the financial and personal consequences of the scheme for themselves and their families.
United States District Judge Lynn Adelman highlighted the impact of the fraud on the victims, particularly the fact that many were working-class immigrants. In explaining the need for a substantial prison sentence, Judge Adelman said the scheme “went on for a long time, caused substantial loss, and dramatically impacted the lives of numerous victims.”
The court subsequently imposed a 48-month prison sentence and ordered Nantomah to pay $2,762,798.37 in restitution to his victims. He will also serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel said the victims had not been wealthy individuals and described the financial consequences of the scheme as a betrayal of people who had placed their trust in Nantomah.
“As Judge Adelman noted, the victims were not wealthy people. They were working class immigrants who were devastated by this betrayal by someone they trusted.
“I am so proud to work alongside the amazing investigation and prosecution team that worked tirelessly to put this con man in prison where he belongs,“ said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Schimel.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation also described the scheme as one in which Nantomah presented himself as a real estate investor and solicited money by promising profits from buying, renovating and selling properties.
“Joseph Nantomah defrauded more than 30 victims in Wisconsin and across the United States.
Nantomah misrepresented himself as a real estate investor who solicited others to invest with him by promising profits on purchasing, fixing, and flipping real estate.
Instead of purchasing real estate with investor money, he utilized more than $2 million for his personal use.
“The FBI will continue to work side-by-side with our partners to protect the American people and their hard-earned money from schemes like these,“ said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division said the case demonstrated how financial fraud can exploit relationships and trust, particularly when victims believe they are dealing with someone who understands their aspirations and circumstances.
“Fraud like this runs on trust. Nantomah sold his victims the promise of opportunity, then used their hard-earned money to fund his own expenses and keep his scheme afloat.
“For some victims, that meant losing retirement, education, and other savings they spent years building. IRS Criminal Investigation follows the money because numbers don’t care about the sales pitch, and in this case, the money told the real story,” said Robert J. Kuszynski, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office.
The investigation involved multiple law-enforcement and regulatory agencies. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, while the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Wisconsin Department of Financial Investigations also conducted investigations into Nantomah.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Julie F. Stewart.
The federal case now leaves Nantomah with a four-year prison sentence, a restitution obligation exceeding $2.7 million and three additional years of supervised release, bringing a formal criminal-justice consequence to a scheme that prosecutors said operated for more than four years and affected victims in the United States and abroad.