Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, the newly elected chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA) in Anambra State, Nigeria, has been arrested by the FBI upon his arrival at a Texas airport. Nwadialo is facing serious charges in connection with a $3.3 million romance scam.
The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Nwadialo, 40, is facing 14 charges. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. The arrest took place as he was traveling from Nigeria to the United States. He is now set to be transported to the Western District of Washington for his arraignment.
The statement reads: “According to the indictment, Nwadialo used various versions of the name ‘Giovanni’ when he met his victims online on websites such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café.
“Nwadialo used false images for his profile and typically told the victims that he was in the military and deployed overseas so he could not meet the victims in person.
“Using these personas, Nwadialo invented many reasons he needed the victims to send him money.
“In one such case in 2020, he indicated he had been fined by the military for revealing his location to the victim. He asked the victim to help him pay the $150,000 fine. In all, that victim was defrauded of at least $2.4 million.”
The charges against Nwadialo involve his alleged involvement in a scheme where he contacted multiple victims, including one in 2019, and convinced them to transfer large sums of money from U.S. bank accounts to those controlled by him and his accomplices. This case highlights the growing threat of romance scams, which exploit vulnerable individuals and result in significant financial losses.
the US department of justice said: “In this instance, Nwadialo represented that he needed the help moving money in connection with his father’s death. The victim transferred at least $330,000 to the accounts controlled by the defendant.
“A third victim was defrauded by Nwadialo when he told her that he was investing money for her.
“He claimed that a check she received from another victim was proceeds from her investments, and he had her “reinvest” the money in a specific cryptocurrency account that he controlled. The victim transferred at least $270,000 at Nwadialo’s direction.
“Finally, in August 2020, Nwadialo defrauded another victim who he met on an online dating site and caused this victim to transfer at least $310,000 by claiming he needed financial assistance, including help paying for his father’s funeral or his son’s school tuition.
“The 14 counts of wire fraud relate to the communications with Nwadialo and the wiring of funds from victims to the defendant and his co-schemers.”
As investigations continue, authorities are determined to crack down on these types of international scams that affect people across borders. The arrest of a local government chairman has brought attention to how far-reaching these fraud schemes can be, affecting not only individuals but also high-profile figures.
