WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judge in the United States has sentenced a 42-year-old Nigerian national and serving Local Government Chairman in Anambra State, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, to five years in prison for masterminding an online romance scam that defrauded multiple victims of over $3.5 million.
Loading ...The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright in Tacoma, Washington, following Nwadialo’s arrest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) upon his arrival at a Texas airport.
Ruined Lives and Fabricated Personas
According to official U.S. Department of Justice case documents, Nwadialo ran an incredibly sophisticated internet fraud operation for roughly 15 years from overseas, specifically targeting older, vulnerable, widowed, or divorced individuals.
Using dating websites such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café, Nwadialo operated under various versions of the fake name “Giovanni.” He claimed to be a U.S. military officer deployed overseas to explain why he could never meet his victims in person.
During the sentencing, Judge Cartwright described Nwadialo’s criminal schemes as “devastating,” adding that it was “not an exaggeration to say it ruined lives—not only financial lives” but also due to severe mental health impacts, including deep isolation, shame, and depression.
How the $3.5 Million Was Stolen
Federal prosecutors revealed that Nwadialo spun elaborate tales to manipulate his victims into trusting him with their life savings.
- In one instance, he falsely claimed to run a non-profit organization providing specialized services for autistic children.
- In other instances, he tricked victims into wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars under the guise of needing financial assistance for his father’s funeral, a son’s school tuition, or fictitious foreign investments.
One of his victims was manipulated into maintaining an online relationship with Nwadialo’s fake persona for three solid years before the FBI intervened and revealed the truth.
Busted on Arrival
“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,” said W. Mike Harrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office.
“Fortunately, although he operated his romance scams from overseas, Mr. Nwadialo ultimately traveled to the United States where he could be arrested and held accountable for his crimes.”
The court ordered Nwadialo to serve 60 months in a U.S. federal prison facility. In addition to his five-year prison term, he is expected to face heavy financial restitution orders to repay his victims.
