A Nigerian politician and local government chairman, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, has been sentenced to five years jail term in a United States federal prison .
This was after he was found guilty of masterminding a long-running online romance scam that swindled victims out of more than $3.5 million ( about N5.2 billion ).
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Nwadialo, who serves as Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government of Anambra State, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright in Tacoma, Washington, reports Inter Region.
The court described the scheme as devastating, noting that beyond the financial losses suffered by victims, many were left emotionally traumatised, battling shame, depression and isolation from loved ones.
Prosecutors said Nwadialo and his associates spent more than 15 years targeting vulnerable individuals, particularly older, widowed and divorced people searching for companionship online.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Charles Neil Floyd, said the defendant exploited people already dealing with grief and heartbreak.
“This defendant preyed on those already suffering from the loss of loved ones or other heartbreak.
For some 15 years, he upended the lives of people he never met,” Floyd said.
Investigators revealed that Nwadialo used fake identities on dating platforms, often posing as a military officer named “Giovanni.” Through these fabricated personas, he allegedly built trust with victims before inventing emergencies ranging from military fines and family funerals to business and investment opportunities to obtain money from them.
Court documents showed that one victim believed she was in a genuine relationship with the fake persona for three years before learning the truth through an FBI investigation.
Another victim, a widow hoping to find love after the death of her husband, reportedly lost her home and life savings after sending money to the scammer.
The FBI Special Agent in Charge, W. Mike Harrington, said the scheme targeted people seeking meaningful relationships online.
“For years, Mr. Nwadialo preyed on vulnerable victims looking for relationships online, gained their trust, and told them lies to steal their life savings totalling millions of dollars,” Harrington said.
Nwadialo was arrested at an airport in Texas in 2024 after arriving in the United States and was later charged with 14 counts of wire fraud.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Sok Tea Jiang and David T. Martin.
