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 being found guilty over his involvement in an online romance fraud scheme that defrauded eight victims of more than $3.5 million.
The sentence was delivered following court proceedings in the U.S. District Court and confirmed by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
Nwadialo, 42, was arrested in Texas after arriving in the United States in 2024. He had earlier been indicted in December 2023 on 14 counts of wire fraud connected to what prosecutors described as a long running romance scam network.
At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright described the offences as “devastating,” stressing that the harm went beyond financial loss.
“It is not an exaggeration to say it ruined lives—not only financial lives,” the judge said, adding that victims were left dealing with shame, depression, and social withdrawal.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said the defendant specifically targeted emotionally vulnerable individuals, many of whom were already dealing with personal tragedies.
“This defendant preyed on those already suffering from the loss of loved ones or other heartbreak. For some 15 years he upended the lives of people he never met,” Floyd said.
“He spun tale after tale to gain the victims’ trust and their money—even claiming to run a non-profit providing services for autistic children. No scheme was too low for these conspirators.”
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office, W. Mike Harrington, said the conviction shows that international fraud actors can still be prosecuted regardless of location.
“For years, Mr. Nwadialo preyed on vulnerable victims looking for relationships online, gained their trust, and told them lies to steal their life savings totaling millions of dollars,” Harrington said.
Court documents show that Nwadialo used variations of the name “Giovanni” to create fake profiles on dating platforms such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café.
Investigators said he often posed as a deployed military officer overseas, using the narrative to justify why he could not meet victims in person.
He also allegedly fabricated multiple emergencies to pressure victims into sending money.
In one case, prosecutors said he persuaded a victim to send $150,000 after claiming he had been fined by the military for disclosing his location.
Authorities further said he requested funds for his father’s funeral, his son’s school fees, investment opportunities, and access to inheritance-related funds.
One victim reportedly believed she was in a relationship with his fake persona for three years before the FBI exposed the scheme.
Another victim, a widow who had lost her husband, allegedly lost her home and life savings after liquidating her assets to support him financially.
Prosecutors argued in court filings that many victims may never fully recover from the emotional and financial damage caused by the fraud.
The FBI investigated the case, while Assistant United States Attorneys Sok Tea Jiang and David T. Martin led the prosecution.
After completing his sentence, Nwadialo is expected to face further immigration proceedings under U.S. law.
