A 40-year-old Nigerian, Leslie Chinedu Mba, has been sentenced to 19 years in a United States federal prison for his involvement in a romance scam and business email compromise operation that swindled victims out of more than $4 million.
Mba had earlier pleaded guilty on December 4, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to submit false statements in immigration documents.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner imposed the sentence, directing that Mba serve his term in federal custody. Authorities confirmed that he is not a U.S. citizen and is likely to face deportation proceedings after completing his prison term.
Prosecutors said that from April 2018 to December 2023, Mba and his accomplices orchestrated romance scams and business email compromise schemes targeting individuals and companies both within and outside the United States.
The operation typically began overseas, where collaborators unlawfully accessed legitimate business email accounts and diverted payments into fraudulent accounts. Victims, thinking they were transferring money to genuine businesses or romantic partners, instead sent funds into accounts managed by the criminal network.
Investigators revealed that Mba and others functioned as money mules, creating or using bank accounts to receive and transfer proceeds from the fraudulent activities.
During sentencing, the court was informed that total losses from the scheme exceeded $4 million.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei condemned romance scams, stating they disproportionately harm vulnerable individuals, particularly elderly victims, and also endanger small businesses.
“Romance scams are among the lowest and most despicable forms of fraud because they prey upon the lonely and vulnerable and disproportionately victimise senior citizens,” Ganjei said.
“Even worse, Mba and his confederates committed these crimes while attempting to remain in our country under false pretences by deceiving immigration authorities. Now, Mba has prison to look forward to, followed by a one-way ticket back to Nigeria,” he added.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which investigated the case alongside the Houston Police Department, said the fraud left victims financially ruined and emotionally distressed.
“Romance scams cruelly manipulate trust, exploit the fear of loneliness and leave victims both financially devastated and emotionally shattered,” Hudson said, adding that the agency would continue to pursue fraudsters, FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson said.
Authorities further disclosed that Mba sought to secure U.S. permanent residency through multiple sham marriages after his original application was rejected and he had been ordered removed from the country.
Four other Houston residents—Grace Morisho, Rodgers Kadikilo, Kristin Smith, and Alexandra Golovko—had previously pleaded guilty in connection with the case. Morisho, Kadikilo, and Smith received prison terms ranging from 15 to 25 months, while Golovko was handed five years’ probation.
Mba will remain in custody until he is transferred to a facility designated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Alum.
