A Nigerian man, Leslie Chinedu Mba, has been sentenced to 228 months in prison by a United States district court for his role in a large-scale romance scam and business email compromise operation.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner handed down the sentence after the 40-year-old pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to make false statements in immigration documents.
According to a statement from the United States Department of Justice, Mba and his accomplices orchestrated romance and business email compromise scams between April 2018 and December 2023, targeting victims both within and outside the United States.
Prosecutors said the scheme involved gaining unauthorised access to legitimate business email accounts and diverting payments to fraudulent bank accounts controlled by the conspirators. Victims were led to believe they were making payments to genuine companies, only for the funds to be redirected and laundered.
“Mba and others acted as money mules, opening or using existing bank accounts to collect and move proceeds from the fraud,” the Justice Department stated.
Authorities also disclosed that Mba attempted to secure U.S. permanent residency through multiple sham marriages after his initial immigration application was denied and he was ordered removed from the country.
The fraud operation resulted in losses totalling approximately $4 million, according to U.S. officials.
Following the completion of his prison term, Mba is expected to face removal proceedings.
The case also implicated four Houston residents who previously pleaded guilty. Grace Morisho, Rodgers Kadikilo, and Kristin Smith received prison terms ranging between 15 and 25 months, while Alexandra Golovko was sentenced to five years of probation.
