By Abiola Olawale
Franklin Nwadialo, who was recently elected as the chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria, has been apprehended in Texas, United States, on allegations of engaging in a massive romance scam.
The alleged fraudulent scheme is said to have caused approximately $3.3 million in financial losses to numerous victims.
An official statement released by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) said Nwadialo was arrested following his arrival in Texas by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The DOJ said the FBI had been conducting an extensive investigation into the case allegedly linked to the LG chairman. According to the statement, the 40-year-old Nwadialo is suspected of employing deceptive online personas to allegedly mislead individuals into believing they were participating in authentic romantic relationships, ultimately leading to substantial financial exploitation.
The DOJ stated that Nwadialo would be transferred to the Western District of Washington for arraignment, adding that he faces a 14-count charge and could face a 20-year sentence if found guilty.
The statement reads in part: “According to the indictment, Nwadialo used various versions of the name ‘Giovanni’ when he met his victims online on websites such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café.
“Nwadialo used false images for his profile and typically told the victims that he was in the military and deployed overseas, so he could not meet them in person.
“Using these personas, Nwadialo invented many reasons for needing the victims to send him money.
“In one such case in 2020, he claimed he had been fined by the military for revealing his location to the victim. He asked the victim to help him pay the $150,000 fine. In all, that victim was defrauded of at least $2.4 million.
“In this instance, Nwadialo claimed he needed help moving money in connection with his father’s death. The victim transferred at least $330,000 to accounts controlled by the defendant.
“A third victim was defrauded by Nwadialo when he told her that he was investing money on her behalf.
“He claimed that a cheque she received from another victim was proceeds from her investments, and he persuaded her to ‘reinvest’ the money in a specific cryptocurrency account that he controlled. The victim transferred at least $270,000 at Nwadialo’s direction.
“Finally, in August 2020, Nwadialo defrauded another victim whom he met on an online dating site, causing her to transfer at least $310,000 by claiming he needed financial assistance, including help paying for his father’s funeral or his son’s school tuition.
“The 14 counts of wire fraud relate to communications with Nwadialo and the transfer of funds from victims to the defendant and his co-conspirators.”
According to the statement, the case is being prosecuted by an Assistant United States Attorney, Sok Jiang.
