Emmanuel Ineh, a Nigerian student-athlete recently convicted for wire fraud in the US, has questioned the integrity of the U.S. justice system.
In an interview with Bold Sports, Ineh, who once ran track for William Carey University and later the University of Alabama, claims his lawyer acted against him during his trial for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
“I was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering,” Ineh said.
He outlined the charges, detailing the specific elements needed to prove guilt, such as intent to defraud and knowledge of the scheme. However, he insists that he was unaware of any illegal activity and trusted his lawyer to defend him properly. “He didn’t tell me of the elements that needed to be proven beyond reasonable doubt for me to be found guilty,” Ineh stated.
The case dates back to 2020 when Ineh was accused of participating in a scheme involving transactions totaling $15,000. He said he believed he was selling refurbished cars, but his bank account was closed after a representative told him that the money sent to him was flagged. “I told the representative I don’t have any relatives in the States, that I’m a student athlete from Nigeria,” he recounted.
Ineh’s ordeal escalated when federal agents confronted him at William Carey University. Despite signing a document acknowledging that he would be held accountable if he continued such transactions, he transferred to the University of Alabama. Things took a turn for the worse in November 2022 when he was indicted on multiple charges, facing up to 20 years in prison.
As his case dragged on, Ineh began to realize that his lawyer, whom he had entrusted with his defense, was not working in his best interest. “He lied to me. He wasn’t in for my favor but for the favor of the government,” Ineh said. According to him, his lawyer pressured him into accepting a plea deal without fully explaining the consequences or the elements that needed to be proven in court.
He lied to me. He wasn’t in for my favor but for the favor of the government.
Ineh
“When I wanted to take back my plea, the prosecutor kept telling the judge that I was an educated man who knew wrong from right,” Ineh explained. He argued that the case could take another year and a half to go to trial, but his lawyer seemed more focused on securing a quick resolution than on defending him. “The judge said she read everything to me, and I responded yes, so why did I want to take back my plea?” he added.
Amid the wire fraud case, Ineh faced another legal battle after being falsely accused of rape. “I wrote to the judge from Tuscaloosa County Jail that I wanted to take back my plea and fire my current lawyer. I wanted to go to trial,” he said. After spending three months in custody, the grand jury returned a verdict that found no substantial evidence to formally indict him. “The rape kit came back negative, the cameras also exonerated me, and there was no reason to keep me in custody,” Ineh added.
The consequences of both legal battles have been devastating for Ineh. “During this time, I lost all my properties, everything I had worked for. I lost my wife, my apartment, my scholarship, and most painfully, my good name,” he lamented.
During this time, I lost all my properties, everything I had worked for. I lost my wife, my apartment, my scholarship, and most painfully, my good name.
Ineh
While other student-athletes involved in the case are still in jail, Ineh was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release. However, he believes that he was meant to receive only a misdemeanor at worst. “It will take at least another three years to reopen the case in order to fight for my innocence,” Ineh explained, highlighting the ongoing legal challenges he faces.
Despite everything, Ineh maintains his innocence, emphasizing that the material facts required to prove wire fraud were never established. “They have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that I met all the elements to be found guilty. I have to have intent to defraud a person, I have to have knowledge of the scheme,” he insisted.
After months of detention and legal battles, Ineh is determined to clear his name. He has since fired his lawyer and continues to fight the charges against him. “I wrote to the judge from Tuscaloosa County Jail that I want to take back my plea and fire my current lawyer. I wanted to go to trial,” Ineh said.
Now, having endured months of incarceration and facing a tarnished reputation, Ineh is fighting for justice—hoping that his story will serve as a cautionary tale about the importance of fair legal representation. “It was the judge, the jury, the prosecutor, the press, and my lawyer, all who I was fighting against,” he concluded.