News
Nigerian LGA Chairman, Franklin Nwadialo Arrested in Texas for $3.3m Romance Scam
Franklin Nwadialo, the newly elected Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA) in Anambra State, Nigeria, has been arrested in Texas, United States, for allegedly masterminding a $3.3 million romance scam.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Nwadialo faces 14 counts of wire fraud and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The 40-year-old LGA chairman was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) upon his arrival in Texas and will be transferred to the Western District of Washington for his arraignment.
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The indictment alleges that Nwadialo used various versions of the name “Giovanni” to deceive victims he met on online dating platforms such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café. He reportedly created fake profiles with false images and claimed to be a military officer stationed overseas, which prevented him from meeting victims in person.
Franklin Nwadialo
Using these fabricated personas, Nwadialo invented a series of false stories to convince victims to send him money. In one case from 2020, he claimed he had been fined $150,000 by the military for revealing his location to a victim and asked for financial assistance. The victim lost at least $2.4 million.
Another incident cited by the U.S. Department of Justice involved Nwadialo contacting a victim in 2019, pretending to need help moving money related to his father’s death. The victim transferred $330,000 to accounts controlled by Nwadialo and his accomplices.
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Nwadialo also defrauded a third victim by convincing her that a check she received from another victim was the return on her investments. He persuaded her to “reinvest” the funds in a cryptocurrency account under his control, leading her to transfer $270,000.
In August 2020, Nwadialo defrauded another victim he met on a dating site, convincing her to send $310,000 to cover his father’s funeral and his son’s school tuition.
The 14 counts of wire fraud stem from Nwadialo’s fraudulent communications and the transfers of funds from victims to Nwadialo and his co-conspirators.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sok Jiang.
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