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A United States District Court in Tacoma, Washington, has sentenced a 42-year-old Nigerian national, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, to five years in prison for orchestrating an online romance scam that defrauded victims of more than $3.5 million.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington, disclosed this in a media release dated June 23, 2026.
According to the Office, the sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright, who described the crime as “devastating,” saying it caused not only severe financial losses but also emotional and psychological harm to victims.
What they are saying
U.S. prosecutors said Nwadialo operated the scheme for more than 15 years, targeting vulnerable individuals through dating websites and convincing them to send large sums of money under false pretenses.
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Announcing the sentencing, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said the defendant preyed on individuals already dealing with grief, loneliness, or 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.
He added that Nwadialo used elaborate stories to gain victims’ trust, including falsely claiming to operate a non-profit organisation supporting autistic children.
Nwadialo was arrested in 2024 at an airport in Texas after arriving in the United States. He had previously been indicted in December 2023 on 14 counts of wire fraud linked to the romance scam operation.
More insights
Court records showed that Nwadialo used various versions of the name “Giovanni” to create fake online identities on dating platforms, including Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café.
- Using stolen images and fabricated personal details, he typically portrayed himself as a military officer deployed overseas, making it difficult for victims to verify his identity or meet him in person.
- Once trust was established, he allegedly fabricated emergencies and financial challenges to persuade victims to transfer funds.
- In one instance, he claimed the military had fined him $150,000 for revealing his location to a romantic partner and requested financial assistance to pay the penalty.
Prosecutors said he employed multiple schemes to extract money from victims, including claims that he needed help accessing an inheritance following his father’s death, paying funeral expenses, funding his son’s education, or making investments on behalf of victims.
Older people on target
The prosecution said many of the victims were older individuals, often widowed or divorced, who believed they were engaged in genuine romantic relationships.
- In court filings, prosecutors noted that one victim remained in a relationship with Nwadialo’s fictitious online persona for three years before learning from the FBI that the relationship was a scam.
- Another victim, a widow seeking companionship after her husband’s death, reportedly lost both her home and life savings. Prosecutors said she continues to face financial difficulties arising from taxes, fees, and penalties incurred after liquidating assets to send money to the scammer.
Commenting on the sentencing, FBI Seattle Special Agent in Charge Mike Harrington said Nwadialo’s arrest demonstrated that perpetrators of cross-border online fraud can still be brought to justice.
What you should know
Nwadialo’s case added to the several cases of Nigerians being tried and sentenced for scam-related offences in the U.S. in recent times.
- In April this year, Nairametrics reported that one Patrick Nwaokwu was sentenced to 21 months in prison in the United States for his role in a nursing credentials fraud scheme that caused more than $1.5 million in losses.
- Earlier in March, another Nigerian, Adepoju Babtunde Salako, was sentenced by a U.S. District Court to 78 months in federal prison for his role in a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is also doubling up its effort at taming internet fraudsters at home with periodic sting operations across the country, leading to arrest and prosecution of fraudsters.
