A Nigerian, Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, has been jailed for 71 months in the United States for his role in a $1.6 million romance scam.
He was also ordered to pay $1,692,945 in restitution, alongside a forfeiture judgment of the same amount. He will be deported to Nigeria after serving his sentence.
Court documents showed that between January and October 2018, Akindele posed as “Frank Labato,” a wealthy Italian-American businessman, on a dating site, targeting a widowed Colorado woman.
He lured the victim through emails and phone calls, using fake personal details and photographs. In March 2018, he claimed to be in financial distress and convinced her to open a cryptocurrency exchange account.
The victim wired more than $1.6 million, which he laundered through several crypto exchanges before moving the funds into his accounts.
To keep the victim hopeful, Akindele issued three fake promissory notes, promising repayment.
“This sentence both serves justice to the victim and helps prevent this individual from scamming someone else,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly in a press release.
“This case should be a reminder to the public to be cautious when engaging with people they meet online—especially when those people are asking for money.”
“Romance scammers are relentless and cunning, preying on trust and emotion to exploit victims,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “This was an egregious case, and through relentless investigative work the perpetrator was tracked down and brought to justice.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
The FBI Denver Field Office investigated the case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha A. Paluch led the prosecution.
