TACOMA, WASHINGTON — Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, a 42-year-old Nigerian politician and Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State, has been sentenced to five years in a United States federal prison for orchestrating a long-running online romance scam that defrauded victims of more than $3.5 million.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright in Tacoma, Washington, bringing an end to a case that prosecutors described as one of calculated emotional manipulation and financial exploitation.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Nwadialo and his associates spent more than 15 years targeting vulnerable individuals through online dating platforms, including Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café. Using fake identities and fabricated stories, the group allegedly deceived victims into sending large sums of money under various pretenses.
Judge Cartwright described the scheme as “devastating,” noting that its impact extended far beyond financial losses. She said victims suffered emotional trauma, including shame, depression, and isolation from family members after discovering they had been deceived by someone they believed genuinely cared for them.
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In a statement following the sentencing, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said the defendant deliberately preyed on individuals who were already dealing with personal loss and emotional hardship.
“This defendant preyed on those already suffering from the loss of loved ones or other heartbreak,” Floyd said. “For some 15 years, he upended the lives of people he never met. 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.”
Investigators revealed that Nwadialo frequently posed online as a military officer named “Giovanni,” creating romantic relationships with victims over extended periods before requesting financial assistance for supposed emergencies. The fabricated stories included military fines, family funerals, business ventures, and investment opportunities.
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One victim reportedly remained in an online relationship with the fake persona for three years before learning from the FBI that the relationship was a fraud. Another victim, a widow seeking companionship after the death of her husband, lost her home and life savings after liquidating assets to support the man she believed she loved.
Prosecutors told the court that many victims continue to suffer financial and emotional consequences years after the scams occurred.
“Nwadialo’s offense was extremely serious and caused significant harm,” prosecutors wrote in court filings. “Try as they might, those victims may never truly recover from Nwadialo’s conduct.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Harrington said the case underscores the dangers of online romance scams and the devastating consequences they can have on unsuspecting victims.
“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.
Nwadialo was arrested in 2024 at an airport in Texas upon his arrival in the United States. He was subsequently indicted on 14 counts of wire fraud.
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The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sok Tea Jiang and David T. Martin.
The conviction serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by online romance fraud, a crime that continues to affect thousands of victims worldwide each year through emotional deception and financial exploitation.
