A United States court has sentenced the Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, to five years imprisonment for defrauding victims of more than 3.5 million dollars through an online romance scam.
The sentence was handed down on Monday by the U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington, according to a statement issued by the United States Department of Justice.
Nwadialo, 42, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at an airport in Texas upon his arrival in the United States in 2024.
He had been indicted in December 2023 on 14 counts of wire fraud linked to a long-running romance fraud scheme targeting vulnerable individuals.
According to U.S. authorities, Nwadialo used various versions of the name “Giovanni” to establish relationships with victims through dating websites, including Match, Zoosk and Christian Café.
Prosecutors said he created false online profiles using fake photographs and personal information, often claiming to be a military officer deployed overseas to explain why he could not meet victims in person.
Through the fraudulent identities, Nwadialo allegedly persuaded victims to send him money for various fabricated emergencies and financial needs.
In one instance, he reportedly told a victim that he had been fined 150,000 dollars by the military for revealing his location and needed assistance to pay the penalty.
Court documents showed that he also claimed to require funds for his father’s funeral, his son’s tuition and other personal expenses, while assuring some victims that he was investing money on their behalf.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright described the crime as devastating and said it had caused severe financial and emotional harm to the victims.
“It is not an exaggeration to say it ruined lives—not only financial lives,” the judge said, noting that many victims suffered shame, depression and isolation as a result of the fraud.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Charles Neil Floyd, said the defendant preyed on individuals already dealing with grief, loneliness and heartbreak.
“For some 15 years he upended the lives of people he never met. He spun tale after tale to gain the victims’ trust and their money,” Floyd said.
Also commenting on the case, W. Mike Harrington, said Nwadialo targeted vulnerable people seeking relationships online and stole their life savings through deception.
He noted that although the scheme was operated from overseas, the suspect was eventually arrested after travelling to the United States.
Prosecutors told the court that many of the victims were older, widowed or divorced individuals who believed they had found genuine romantic partners.
They said one victim maintained an online relationship with Nwadialo’s fake persona for three years before discovering the truth through an FBI investigation.
Another victim, a widow, reportedly lost her home and life savings after liquidating assets to send money to the defendant.
The prosecutors argued that the impact of the fraud would continue to affect the victims for years, even after the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
