A Nigerian national, Matthew Ejike Nwachukwu, has been sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of his role in an elaborate romance scam disguised as an international package delivery.
Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool delivered the verdict at the Linden Magistrate’s Court, convicting Nwachukwu on two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony.
He received three years for each count, with the sentences to run consecutively.
Nwachukwu was initially charged and remanded in September 2022.
According to the police, one of the victims told investigators she was deceived into a romantic relationship with a man who claimed to be German.
Over time, he convinced her he was sending valuable items—including diamonds—through FedEx.
Shortly after, she received a call from a foreign number, informing her that the package had arrived in Guyana. She was instructed to pay GYD $155,000 to individuals at the MacKenzie Post Office in order to claim the package and avoid alleged money laundering accusations.
Believing the claim to be legitimate, she made the payments.
During the trial, the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) presented evidence linking Nwachukwu to the scheme, alleging that he acted on behalf of the purported German mastermind by coordinating local agents to collect the money.
Prosecutors Aaron Daniels and Neville Jeffers represented the state, while Nwachukwu was defended by attorney-at-law Lawrence Harris.
SOCU stated that investigations are ongoing, with efforts underway to identify and apprehend the alleged German orchestrator and other suspects believed to be part of a broader romance fraud ring involving fake package deliveries.
