- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Rancho Cucamonga Today
By the People, for the People
Suspended LA Lawyer Sentenced for $2.1M Oil Bribe
Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo received prison time and forfeiture for money laundering and tax evasion.
Published on Feb. 24, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
A suspended Los Angeles-area lawyer, Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for receiving a $2.1 million bribe while serving as an officer of Nigeria's state-owned oil company. Okoronkwo was found guilty of money laundering, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice related to the bribery scheme.
Why it matters
This case highlights the ongoing challenges of rooting out corruption in the global oil and gas industry, where state-owned enterprises and foreign officials can be complicit in bribery schemes. It also demonstrates the U.S. government's commitment to prosecuting financial crimes and money laundering, even when they involve foreign actors.
The details
Okoronkwo, a dual U.S. and Nigerian citizen, received the $2.1 million bribe in 2015 from Addax Petroleum, a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned oil company Sinopec. Okoronkwo used his position as a foreign official at Nigeria's state oil company, NNPC, to negotiate favorable drilling rights for Addax. To conceal the bribery, Addax falsely characterized the payment as legal fees, and Okoronkwo laundered the funds through his law firm's trust account and a shell company before using the money for personal expenses, including a home purchase.
- In October 2015, Addax Petroleum wired the $2.1 million bribe payment to Okoronkwo's law firm.
- Between February 2016 and 2018, Okoronkwo routed the bribery funds through various accounts.
- In November 2017, Okoronkwo used $983,200 of the illicit funds to make a down payment on a house in Valencia.
- In June 2022, Okoronkwo lied to federal investigators about the source of the $2.1 million.
- In January 2026, the State Bar of California suspended Okoronkwo's law license.
The players
Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo
A 58-year-old lawyer from Rancho Cucamonga, California, who was convicted of money laundering, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice related to a $2.1 million bribery scheme while serving as a foreign official at Nigeria's state-owned oil company.
Addax Petroleum
A Switzerland-based subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned oil company Sinopec, which paid the $2.1 million bribe to Okoronkwo in exchange for his influence in securing favorable drilling rights in Nigeria.
Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC)
Nigeria's state-owned oil company, where Okoronkwo served as a foreign official with a fiduciary duty to the Nigerian government.
What’s next
The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided assistance in this case, indicating that further international cooperation may be involved in addressing similar corruption cases.
The takeaway
This sentencing demonstrates the U.S. government's commitment to prosecuting financial crimes and money laundering, even when they involve complex schemes and foreign actors, in order to uphold the rule of law and maintain the integrity of global business practices.
