A 49-year-old Nigerian man, Joseph James Nantomah, also known as “The Black Mentor,” has been sentenced to four years in federal prison in the United States for an investment fraud scheme that caused more than $2.7 million in losses to at least 39 victims.
Nantomah was sentenced on September 18, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman in the Eastern District of Wisconsin after pleading guilty to charges linked to the scheme. He was also ordered to pay $2,762,798.37 in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Nantomah entered the United States from Nigeria on a visitor’s visa in 2016. He later developed an online persona portraying himself as a successful, multimillion-dollar real estate entrepreneur.
Using the name “The Black Mentor,” he organised Wealth Flow conferences and classes, where he presented himself as someone who could teach people how to achieve financial success in America.
Prosecutors said Nantomah used those events and his online presence to persuade people to invest in supposed real estate ventures, promising significant returns.
Between May 2020 and December 2024, at least 39 people were defrauded of $2,762,798.37. Many of the victims were reportedly Nigerian immigrants and members of Nantomah’s church, whom prosecutors said he gained the trust of through their shared cultural background and aspirations for financial success in the United States.
However, investigators found that Nantomah did not operate the legitimate real estate business he claimed to have. Prosecutors said he used more than $2 million of investors’ money for personal expenses, including private jets, luxury vehicles, expensive jewellery and a yacht.
He also allegedly spent money maintaining his public image, including paying celebrities to appear at his conferences and obtaining honorary doctorate degrees for himself and his wife.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Adelman highlighted the length of the scheme, the amount of money lost and the impact on the victims and their families. Several victims also addressed the court about the financial difficulties they experienced as a result of the scheme.
The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Wisconsin Department of Financial Investigations.
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