The Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, has been sentenced to five years in prison in the United States after being convicted for his role in an online romance fraud scheme that defrauded eight victims of more than $3.5 million.
The sentence was announced by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd following proceedings before the U.S. District Court.
Nwadialo, 42, was arrested at an airport in Texas after arriving in the United States in 2024. He had earlier been indicted in December 2023 on 14 counts of wire fraud linked to a long-running romance scam operation.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright described the crimes as “devastating,” noting that the victims suffered not only severe financial losses but also lasting emotional and psychological harm.
“It is not an exaggeration to say it ruined lives—not only financial lives,” the judge said, adding that many victims were left with shame, depression, and isolation from their families.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said Nwadialo deliberately targeted emotionally vulnerable individuals, many of whom had experienced the loss of loved ones or other personal tragedies.
“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.
“He spun tale after tale to gain the victims' trust and their money—even claiming to run a non-profit providing services for autistic children. No scheme was too low for these conspirators.”
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Seattle Field Office, W. Mike Harrington, said the conviction demonstrates that international fraudsters can still be brought to justice.
“For years, Mr. Nwadialo preyed on vulnerable victims looking for relationships online, gained their trust, and told them lies to steal their life savings totaling millions of dollars,” Harrington said.
According to court records, Nwadialo used different versions of the name “Giovanni” to create fake profiles on dating platforms, including Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café.
Investigators said he typically posed as a member of the military deployed overseas, using the story to explain why he could not meet victims in person.
He allegedly invented numerous emergencies to persuade victims to send him money.
In one instance, prosecutors said he convinced a victim to send $150,000 by claiming he had been fined by the military for revealing his location.
Authorities said he also claimed to need money for his father's funeral, his son's school fees, investment opportunities, and to facilitate access to funds linked to his late father.
According to prosecutors, one victim believed she was in a romantic relationship with Nwadialo's fake online persona for three years before learning the truth through an FBI investigation.
Another victim, a widow seeking companionship after the death of her husband, reportedly lost her home and life savings after liquidating her assets to send money to the suspect.
In court filings, prosecutors argued that many of the victims may never fully recover from the financial and emotional damage caused by the fraud scheme.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case, while Assistant United States Attorneys Sok Tea Jiang and David T. Martin prosecuted it.
Following the completion of his prison sentence, Nwadialo is expected to face further immigration proceedings in accordance with U.S. law.