United States court orders Nigerian oil executive Paulinus Okoronkwo to surrender a $2.5 million Los Angeles mansion after conviction for money laundering.
A senior official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Paulinus Okoronkwo, has been ordered by a U.S. court to forfeit a $2.5 million mansion in Los Angeles following his conviction on money laundering charges.
The ruling, delivered on October 3, 2025, by Judge John Walter of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, forms part of Okoronkwo’s sentencing in Case No. 2:24-CR-20(A)-JFW. The luxury property, located at 25340 Twin Oaks Place in Valencia, California, will be seized under U.S. money laundering statutes and may be liquidated once all third-party claims are resolved.
Okoronkwo was found guilty on three counts of transactional money laundering, according to court filings. Prosecutors said he used proceeds from illicit financial transactions linked to his role at the state-run oil company to acquire the property through complex offshore arrangements designed to conceal ownership.
The U.S. government argued that the Los Angeles mansion represented “ill-gotten gains” from a broader web of corruption involving Nigerian politically exposed persons. The court agreed, ordering permanent forfeiture of the asset to the United States.
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Officials said the case underscores Washington’s continued cooperation with international partners in tracing and recovering proceeds of corruption, particularly in cases involving foreign officials. The Department of Justice (DOJ) reaffirmed its commitment to “ensuring that the United States does not serve as a safe haven for the spoils of public corruption.”
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company has yet to issue an official statement regarding the conviction or the forfeiture order. However, analysts say the case adds to growing international scrutiny of financial misconduct involving officials from Nigeria’s energy sector — historically a major source of corruption investigations worldwide.
The mansion, described in property records as a five-bedroom estate with a pool and panoramic views of the Santa Clarita Valley, is among several U.S.-based assets believed to have been purchased by Nigerian officials under investigation for money laundering or bribery.
The U.S. government is expected to sell the forfeited property and channel proceeds into restitution or repatriation programs, subject to court approval.
