A Nigerian man, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, has been sentenced to five years in prison in the United States. He was found guilty of running a romance scam that cheated many victims out of more than $3.5 million.
On Tuesday, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington released a statement. It said that 42-year-old Nwadialo was sentenced by a U.S. District Court in Tacoma. He was convicted in connection with a long-running online fraud scheme targeting vulnerable people on dating websites.
Nwadialo was arrested at a Texas airport when he arrived in the United States in 2024. He was later charged with 14 counts of wire fraud related to the scheme.
During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright spoke about the harm caused by Nwadialo's actions. She said the scam had devastating effects on the victims, going beyond just money to include emotional and psychological pain.
The judge called the crime “devastating.” She added that it was “not an exaggeration to say it ruined lives not only financial lives” but also led victims to experience “shame, depression, and isolation from their own family.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that Nwadialo spent about 15 years tricking victims. He created fake online identities and pretended to be a romantic partner. Prosecutors said he mostly targeted older people, especially widows and divorcees, and tricked them into sending money for various made-up reasons.
Charles Neil Floyd, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, commented on the sentence. He said Nwadialo took advantage of people who were already dealing with grief and emotional struggles.
“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.
Court records show that Nwadialo used different versions of the name “Giovanni” on dating sites like Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café. He allegedly used stolen photos and fake personal details, often claiming to be a military officer stationed overseas to explain why he could not meet victims in person.
Investigators found that he used a variety of made-up stories to get money from victims. In one case, he claimed he was fined $150,000 by the military for revealing his location and asked for help to pay the fine. In other cases, he told victims he needed money for his father's death, funeral costs, school fees for his son, or investment chances.
The FBI said Nwadialo built trust with his victims before taking advantage of them financially.
“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,” said W. Mike Harrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office.
Prosecutors told the court that the scam left lasting financial and emotional damage. One victim believed she was in a real relationship with Nwadialo’s fake persona for three years before learning the truth through an FBI investigation.
Another victim, a widow, lost her home and life savings after selling her assets to send money to the scammer. She still faces financial struggles from the losses.
The FBI investigated this case, and Assistant United States Attorneys Sok Tea Jiang and David T. Martin handled the prosecution.
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