Nigerian jailed in US over $3.5m online romance scam

A Nigerian national, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, has been sentenced to five years in prison in the United States for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded victims of more than $3.5 million.

According to a statement issued by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, the 42-year-old was sentenced by a federal court in Tacoma after being convicted for his role in a long-running online fraud operation.

Authorities said Nwadialo was arrested at a Texas airport after arriving in the United States in 2024 and was subsequently charged with 14 counts of wire fraud.

Delivering judgment, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright described the impact of the scheme as far-reaching, noting that the victims suffered not only financial losses but also significant emotional and psychological trauma.

The court heard that Nwadialo spent nearly 15 years using fake online identities to lure victims through dating websites. Prosecutors said he primarily targeted older individuals, including widows and divorcees, building romantic relationships with them before persuading them to send money.

According to investigators, he operated under various aliases, including “Giovanni,” on dating platforms such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café. He allegedly used stolen photographs and fabricated personal histories, often claiming to be a military officer deployed overseas to avoid meeting victims in person.

Prosecutors said Nwadialo employed several false stories to obtain money, including claims that he needed funds to pay military penalties, cover funeral expenses, support his son’s education, or finance investment opportunities.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said the defendant deliberately exploited individuals who were already vulnerable due to grief, loneliness, or personal loss.

The FBI also described the scheme as a calculated operation in which victims were emotionally manipulated before being financially exploited.

Court records revealed that some victims suffered devastating consequences. One woman reportedly believed she was in a genuine relationship with Nwadialo’s online persona for three years before discovering the deception through an FBI investigation.

Another victim, a widow, was said to have lost her home and life savings after selling assets to send money to the scammer and continues to experience financial hardship.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sok Tea Jiang and David T. Martin.