Houston, Texas - A United States District Court has handed down a hefty 19-year prison sentence to Nigerian national Leslie Chinedu Mba for his involvement in a sophisticated $4 million fraud operation that combined romance scams, business email compromises, and attempts to secure U.S. residency through fake marriages. The 40-year-old, who had been living illegally in Houston, pleaded guilty last December and now faces deportation back to Nigeria once his term is served.
Mba's schemes, which ran from April 2018 to December 2023, preyed on vulnerable individuals and businesses, racking up losses exceeding $4 million. In the romance scams, fraudsters built fake relationships online to extract money from lonely victims, often seniors. The business email compromise involved hacking into company accounts to redirect legitimate payments to fraudulent ones controlled by Mba and his accomplices. Mba acted as a "money mule," using bank accounts to launder and move the stolen funds.
Adding another layer to his crimes, Mba tried multiple times to gain permanent U.S. residency through sham marriages, including to elderly women, after his initial immigration application was denied and he was ordered removed from the country. He pleaded guilty on December 4, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making false statements in immigration documents. U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced him to 228 months in federal prison on February 26, 2026, with Mba remaining in custody until transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility.
Mba didn't act alone. Four co-conspirators from Houston—Grace Morisho, 30; Rodgers Kadikilo, 30; Kristin Smith, 38; and Alexandra Golovko, 36—had already pleaded guilty to similar charges. Their sentences ranged from 15 to 25 months in prison for Morisho, Kadikilo, and Smith, while Golovko received five years of probation. The investigation was led by the FBI with help from the Houston Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei didn't mince words about the case: “Romance scams are among the lowest and most despicable form of fraud because they prey upon the lonely and vulnerable, and disproportionately victimize senior citizens. These online scams Mba and his friends perpetrated jeopardized the livelihood of family-run businesses, the ability of elderly individuals to retire, and exploited the trust that fuels our economy. Even worse, Mba and his confederates committed these crimes while attempting to remain in our country under false pretenses by deceiving immigration authorities. Now, Mba has prison to look forward to, followed by a one-way ticket back to Nigeria.”
FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson echoed the sentiment: “Out of all the frauds perpetrated by Leslie Mba and his co-conspirators, their weaponization of romance scams to deliberately target vulnerable and elderly Americans is most disturbing. Romance scams cruelly manipulate trust, callously exploit the fear of loneliness, and leave victims both financially devastated and emotionally shattered.”
This conviction adds to a troubling pattern of Nigerians facing legal troubles abroad, with reports indicating over 100 compatriots convicted in the U.S. for various crimes and slated for deportation amid strict immigration enforcement. While no widespread public reactions from Nigeria have surfaced yet, cases like this often spark debates about the impact on the country's global image and the need for better awareness on cyber fraud.
As online scams continue to evolve, authorities warn Nigerians at home and abroad to steer clear of such activities. Mba's downfall serves as a stark reminder of the long arm of U.S. law in combating international fraud.
Stay tuned to ReportNaija for updates on this and other stories affecting Nigerians worldwide.