Franklin Nwadialo, the newly elected chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA) in Anambra State, Nigeria, has been arrested in Texas on charges of allegedly running a $3.3 million romance scam.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Nwadialo faces a 14-count charge and could be sentenced to up to 20 years if convicted.
Nwadialo, 40, was reportedly taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) upon his arrival in Texas. He is expected to be transferred to the Western District of Washington for arraignment.
According to the Department of Justice, Nwadialo allegedly used various aliases, including the name “Giovanni,” to connect with victims on dating websites such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café.
He reportedly used false images and claimed to be a military officer stationed overseas, a cover story that allowed him to avoid in-person meetings and fabricate reasons for requesting financial assistance.
In one instance in 2020, Nwadialo allegedly told a victim he had been fined by the military for revealing his location, requesting $150,000 to cover the penalty. The victim was reportedly defrauded of at least $2.4 million over time.
The Justice Department also detailed additional cases, including a 2019 incident in which Nwadialo allegedly persuaded another victim to move funds to accounts he controlled, citing the need to handle finances related to his father’s death. The victim reportedly transferred $330,000 under this pretense.
In another scheme, Nwadialo is said to have convinced a victim to invest in cryptocurrency through an account he controlled, defrauding her of $270,000. In a final case, he reportedly claimed financial hardships, including expenses for his father’s funeral and his son’s school fees, leading a victim to transfer $310,000.
The 14 charges of wire fraud pertain to Nwadialo’s communications with victims and the transfer of funds to accounts he and his accomplices allegedly controlled. Sok Jiang, an assistant United States attorney, is handling the prosecution.
