A United States District Court in Tacoma has sentenced a Nigerian national, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, to five years imprisonment for masterminding a romance scam that defrauded victims of more than $3.5 million.
Nwadialo, 42, was convicted for his role in a sophisticated online fraud scheme that operated for over a decade and targeted vulnerable individuals through dating platforms.
According to a statement issued by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, the convict was arrested at an airport in Texas after arriving in the United States in 2024.
He was subsequently indicted on 14 counts of wire fraud linked to the scam.
During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright condemned the offences, describing their impact as far-reaching and devastating.
The judge noted that beyond the substantial financial losses suffered by victims, the scheme also inflicted severe emotional and psychological trauma, including shame, depression, and social isolation.
Prosecutors told the court that Nwadialo spent nearly 15 years deceiving victims by creating fake online profiles and posing as a romantic partner.
He reportedly focused on older individuals, especially widows and divorcees, manipulating them into sending money under false pretences.
Commenting on the judgment, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said the defendant exploited people who were already dealing with grief and emotional distress.
According to court documents, Nwadialo used various aliases, including different versions of the name “Giovanni,” on dating websites such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café. He allegedly relied on stolen photographs and fabricated personal details, frequently claiming to be a military officer deployed overseas to explain his inability to meet victims in person.
Investigators said he employed numerous deceptive stories to obtain funds, including claims that he needed money to pay military penalties, cover funeral expenses, settle school fees for a child, or finance investment opportunities.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the convict systematically gained the trust of victims before exploiting them financially.
The Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office, W. Mike Harrington, said Nwadialo spent years targeting people seeking genuine relationships online and ultimately stole millions of dollars from them.
Court records revealed that one victim believed she was in a genuine romantic relationship with the suspect’s online persona for three years before discovering the deception through an FBI investigation.
Another victim, a widow, reportedly lost her home and life savings after selling assets to send money to the fraudster and continues to struggle with the financial consequences.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sok Tea Jiang and David T. Martin.
