A Blaine man who collected more than $3.8 million with a version of the Nigerian inheritance scam was sentenced to five years in prison and millions in restitution Friday, Dec. 9, in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

Scott Alan Stuart, 51, convinced investors throughout the country to send him money so he could claim an inheritance from a bank in Canada, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

He pleaded guilty last June to wire fraud and tax crimes. His exact restitution will be determined in the next two months.

Stuart told investors that his father had made millions constructing an oil pipeline in Nigeria, and that if investors provided enough money to pay the taxes, he'd be able to access his $30 million inheritance and provide a large return on their money.

From 2003 to 2010, Stuart collected more than $3.8 million from dozens of investors, with some wiring him as much as $45,000 in hopes of a big payday when he accessed his inheritance.

There was no inheritance or Canadian bank account, according to the Department of Justice. Stuart claimed he sent some $200,000 to the Nigerians or their middlemen in the U.S. to access the inheritance, but the bulk of the money he collected was used for his own expenses.

Stuart's co-defendant, Whatcom County resident Wayne Charles Sewell, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to more than a year in prison and $150,000 in restitution.

Sewell helped convince people to loan Stuart large sums of money with promises the loans would be returned quickly and with substantial interest. According to Sewell's plea agreement, he was aware that Stuart was using people's money for his personal benefit. Sewell collected more than $150,000 on Stuart's behalf.