Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State, has been sentenced to five years in prison in the United States after a federal court found him guilty of operating a large-scale romance fraud scheme that defrauded victims of more than $3.5 million.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, the 42-year-old received his sentence in a federal court in Tacoma following his conviction for a long-running online fraud operation that targeted vulnerable individuals through dating websites.
Authorities said Nwadialo was arrested in Texas in 2024 after arriving in the United States. Prosecutors subsequently charged him with 14 counts of wire fraud linked to the scheme.
During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright described the offences as deeply harmful, noting that victims suffered significant financial losses as well as emotional and psychological trauma.
Investigators revealed that Nwadialo spent nearly 15 years carrying out the romance fraud scheme by creating fake online identities and pretending to be a romantic partner. Prosecutors said he mainly targeted older individuals, particularly widows and divorcees, convincing them to send money through a series of fabricated stories and false promises.
Using aliases such as “Giovanni” on dating platforms including Match, Zoosk and Christian Café, he allegedly posed as a military officer serving overseas. Authorities said he used stolen photographs to support the false identity and requested money for fictitious military penalties, family emergencies, funeral expenses, educational costs and investment opportunities.
The investigation found that several victims lost substantial savings. One widow reportedly lost her home after selling assets to send him money, while another victim believed she was in a genuine relationship with him for three years before discovering the truth through an FBI investigation.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Nwadialo gained the trust of individuals seeking companionship before exploiting them financially. Federal prosecutors Sok Tea Jiang and David T. Martin handled the case.
