US Government Files New Charges Against Air Peace CEO Amid Renewed Investigation by Department of Justice

The CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, faces fresh charges in a superseding indictment filed by the US Department of Justice. Onyema is accused of obstructing justice by allegedly submitting false documents in an attempt to stop a previous investigation, which had already resulted in bank fraud and money laundering charges.

This update was confirmed in a statement released by the Justice Department. The charges also extend to Ejiroghene Eghagha, Air Peace’s Chief of Administration and Finance, who is accused of participating in both the obstruction scheme and earlier fraud charges.

“Onyema and his co-defendant are accused of committing additional acts of fraud to derail the investigation into their alleged misuse of the U.S. banking system,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. Onyema, however, has consistently maintained his innocence, denying the allegations in numerous public statements.

The Justice Department emphasized that the charges are mere accusations, and Onyema and Eghagha are presumed innocent unless the government can prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. Buchanan added that federal investigators uncovered the alleged scheme, allowing the defendants to be held accountable for attempts to obstruct the inquiry.

Robert J. Murphy, the DEA’s Atlanta Division Special Agent in Charge, highlighted the ongoing commitment to combat fraud and money laundering, while Lisa Fontanette, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office, added that the defendants allegedly used the U.S. banking system to conceal illicit funds.

The charges suggest that between 2010 and 2018, Onyema frequently traveled to Atlanta, where he opened multiple personal and business bank accounts. More than $44.9 million is said to have been transferred into these accounts from foreign sources. Additionally, between 2016 and 2018, Onyema and Eghagha allegedly orchestrated a scheme using export letters of credit to transfer over $20 million into Onyema’s Atlanta-based accounts, funds that were supposedly meant for purchasing Boeing 737 aircraft for Air Peace.

The court documents allege that these funds were supported by falsified documents, including purchase agreements and bills of sale, which falsely claimed that Air Peace was buying planes from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a Georgia-registered entity.

In response to these allegations, Onyema’s legal team, represented by A.O. Alegeh & Co, maintains that no U.S. bank suffered any losses in the transactions. They also cite previous court rulings that have cleared their clients of certain charges. The firm continues to argue that their clients are innocent of all accusations.