Smyrna adviser sentenced for stealing $10M from elderly client

SMYRNA, Ga. - A former Smyrna financial adviser will spend more than seven years in federal prison after stealing nearly $10 million from an elderly client to buy a multi-million-dollar home, a luxury club membership, and fund personal expenses. 

What we know:

Ejiroghene O. Okuma, 44, was sentenced Friday to seven years and four months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud on March 17. 

Okuma gained complete access to an elderly client's brokerage account in 2016. 

In February 2022, he was appointed to administer the estate of the victim's sister.

The following month, Okuma began stealing funds by falsely claiming the sister's estate needed money. 

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He convinced the client to transfer $500,000 to an estate account, which he then moved to his wife's business account. 

By June 2022, he stole another $400,000 using funds from the estate and proceeds from selling the sister's home.

In February 2023, Okuma opened an unauthorized brokerage account under a revocable trust tied to the victim. 

He opened a personal bank account the same day and added himself as a custodian to the client's bank account, allowing him to withdraw money without permission.

By late February 2023, Okuma shifted about $9 million into the unauthorized account. 

Between August 2023 and March 2025, he funneled those funds into buying a $5.2 million home in Vinings, an approximately $1.4 million beach club membership, and donating about $340,000 to his church.

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet determined the exact restitution amount Okuma must pay back. The court will set a hearing at a later date to decide on restitution. 

What they're saying:

"Under the guise of acting as a financial adviser, Okuma abused the trust placed in him by an elderly client," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "His sentence should send a clear message to fiduciaries who may be tempted to steal: we will seek lengthy prison sentences to punish those who exploit vulnerable citizens to line their own pockets."