A U.S. district court has ordered the interim forfeiture of a California property linked to Paulinus Okoronkwo, a former general manager at Nigeria’s state oil company, following his conviction for laundering a $2.1 million bribe disguised as consultancy fees from a Chinese energy firm.

Okoronkwo, who oversaw upstream operations at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (now NNPC Ltd.), was found guilty in September of money laundering, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors revealed that in 2015, he received the illicit payment from Addax Petroleum—a subsidiary of China’s Sinopec Group—to influence drilling rights in Nigeria. Nearly $1 million of the funds was used as a down payment on the Valencia home.

The October 3 ruling by Judge John Walter mandates the seizure of the property located at 25340 Twin Oaks Place (Parcel 2826-143-004), declaring it proceeds of criminal activity. A 60-day public notice has been issued for any third-party claims, with sentencing scheduled for December 1.

“This is the end of the road for Okoronkwo’s ill-gotten gains,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. The case, investigated by the FBI and IRS, underscores persistent corruption in Nigeria’s oil sector, where billions are lost annually, according to Transparency International.

Okoronkwo, also a Nigerian-American immigration lawyer based in Koreatown, Los Angeles, allegedly funneled the bribe through his firm’s trust account, masking it as legitimate consultancy fees. Prosecutors say Addax executives falsified records and retaliated against whistleblowers who raised concerns.

Under U.S. law (18 U.S.C. § 1957), the forfeiture strips Okoronkwo of ownership, with net proceeds from the property’s sale directed to the U.S. Treasury. His legal team has not issued a public response.