Joseph James Nantomah, who called himself The Black Mentor, was sentenced on 18 September 2026 in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He must repay $2,762,798.37 and will serve three years of supervised release after leaving prison.
Nantomah entered the United States from Nigeria on a visitor visa in 2016. Within a few years he had built a false online image as the founder of a multimillion dollar property business. He hosted conferences and classes under the name Wealth Flow, claiming he could teach others how to succeed in America. Those events were used to persuade people to put money into his supposed property ventures.
Between May 2020 and December 2024 he took $2,762,798.37 from at least 39 victims. Many were Nigerian immigrants and members of his church. He drew on shared culture and the promise of the American Dream, telling them their money would be invested in property and would produce significant returns.
He had no genuine property business and no real expertise in the field. Most of the money paid for a lavish life that included private jets, luxury cars, costly jewellery and a yacht. Large sums also went on building his public image, including honorary doctorates for himself and his wife and payments to celebrities who attended his events.
United States District Judge Lynn Adelman said the fraud lasted a long time, caused substantial loss and dramatically affected many victims. The judge noted that those targeted were working class immigrants. Several victims addressed the court and described the harm done to them and their families.
Brad Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, said the victims were not wealthy people. They were working class immigrants devastated by a betrayal of trust.
Alan Karr, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Milwaukee, said Nantomah presented himself as a property investor who would buy, renovate and sell homes for profit. Instead he used more than $2 million for his own purposes.
Robert J. Kuszynski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, said some victims lost retirement savings, education funds and other money built up over years. He said the financial records showed how the money was actually spent.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI, with work also carried out by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Wisconsin Department of Financial Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie F. Stewart.
By A.Ikechukwu
