Nigerian Politician Franklin Nwadialo Arrested in the US Over $3.3 Million Romance Scam
Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, was arrested at a Texas airport after arriving from Nigeria, following an indictment for his alleged involvement in a massive romance fraud scheme. Nwadialo, who was indicted in December 2023 on 14 counts of wire fraud, is accused of defrauding victims out of more than $3.3 million. He will be transported to the Western District of Washington for arraignment, where legal proceedings will begin.
The indictment, filed by U.S. authorities, accuses Nwadialo of using fraudulent online personas to exploit vulnerable individuals. He allegedly created fake profiles on popular dating websites such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café, where he posed as a military man stationed overseas, unable to meet in person. Under the guise of a romantic relationship, he convinced his victims to send him large sums of money, inventing various personal crises to justify his demands.
According to the indictment, Nwadialo used multiple versions of the name “Giovanni” and employed doctored images to bolster his fake profiles. In one instance, he convinced a victim in 2020 to send him $2.4 million after claiming he had been fined by the military for revealing his location to her. He allegedly requested that she help pay a $150,000 fine related to the supposed infraction.
In another case, Nwadialo allegedly reached out to a second victim in 2019, asking for assistance in moving funds connected to his father’s death. This victim transferred over $330,000 to accounts controlled by Nwadialo and his co-conspirators.
The indictment also details how Nwadialo defrauded a third victim by convincing her to “reinvest” money in a cryptocurrency scheme he controlled. The victim sent at least $270,000, believing she was investing in a legitimate opportunity. Finally, in August 2020, Nwadialo tricked another victim into sending him $310,000, claiming he needed financial assistance to pay for his father’s funeral and his son’s school tuition.
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The charges against Nwadialo involve wire fraud, a federal offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Authorities say Nwadialo’s criminal activities spanned multiple years and involved coordinated efforts with others, but it was his ability to remain overseas that made him difficult to apprehend.
U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman applauded the FBI for their diligence in investigating the case and apprehending Nwadialo. “All too often, the defendants in these romance scams are overseas and unreachable by U.S. law enforcement,” she said. “I congratulate investigators who are alert to any opportunity to arrest such defendants and hold them accountable.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Jiang handling the prosecution.
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