Franklin Nwadialo, recently elected chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria, has been arrested by United States authorities on allegations of a $3.3 million romance scam. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the 40-year-old faces a 14-count indictment and could receive up to a 20-year prison sentence if found guilty.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) detained Nwadialo upon his arrival in Texas. He is expected to be transferred to the Western District of Washington for arraignment.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s indictment describes how Nwadialo allegedly used multiple aliases, such as “Giovanni,” to deceive victims on dating platforms including Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café.
He is accused of fabricating profiles, often posing as a member of the military to gain the trust of his targets and provide a plausible reason for avoiding in-person meetings.
“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,” the statement reads.
“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 department’s statement further details an incident in 2019, where Nwadialo allegedly convinced a second victim to assist in moving funds to accounts under his control, claiming the transfers were necessary due to his father’s death. This victim reportedly sent him at least $330,000.
“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 charges, which include wire fraud, encompass various communications and financial transfers involving Nwadialo and his alleged accomplices.
Assistant United States Attorney Sok Jiang is leading the prosecution of this case.
