A United States court has sentenced a Lagos-based internet fraudster, Daniel Chima Inweregbu, to 33 months in prison for his involvement in wire fraud, mail fraud, romance scams and money laundering.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced the sentence in a statement on Friday, confirming that Inweregbu, 40, was convicted by Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown of the U.S. District Court.
In addition to the prison term, he was ordered to undergo three years of supervised release, pay a $100 special assessment fee and make restitution totaling $166,400 to his victims.
Extradited from the UK
Inweregbu was extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States after investigators linked him to a transnational fraud ring that targeted vulnerable American women.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, use of an assumed name, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Four Women Targeted, Over $405,000 Lost
According to the DoJ, the scheme ran between July 1, 2017, and December 16, 2018.
During this period, Inweregbu and his co-conspirators posed as a fictitious man named “Larry Pham”, a supposed Canadian-Vietnamese middle-aged widower.
Using social media, email and messaging apps, they built romantic relationships with four women born in 1965, 1974, 1970 and 1976 and manipulated them into sending money through various fabricated emergencies and investment claims.
The fraudulent activities resulted in actual and intended losses exceeding $405,000.
Money Laundering Network
After receiving the funds, the syndicate moved the money through U.S. bank accounts and intermediaries to conceal its origin, a process prosecutors described as “designed to disguise the nature, source, location and ownership” of the stolen money.
The DoJ said the case highlights ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to combat international romance scams and money laundering networks that exploit online platforms.
