A 40-year-old Nigerian, Leslie Mba, has been sentenced to 19 years in a United States federal prison for his role in a romance fraud and business email compromise scheme. The case involved losses estimated at about $4 million.

A U.S. District Court judge handed him a 228-month sentence after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making false statements in immigration documents. He is also expected to face deportation after serving his term.

Prosecutors said the fraud network operated between 2018 and 2023, targeting individuals and businesses by diverting payments into accounts controlled by the group. Mba reportedly helped move the illegal funds through bank accounts he managed.

U.S. authorities described the crime as harmful, especially to vulnerable victims. Other suspects linked to the case received shorter sentences, while Mba remains in custody awaiting transfer to a federal facility.