Daniel Chima Inweregbu, a 40-year-old Nigerian man, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges preferred against him by the United States government.
The charges bordered on “conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and using an assumed name to commit a mail fraud scheme”.
In a statement published by the US department of justice, the Nigerian was said to have been involved in a “lengthy romance scam targeting American citizens” between July 1, 2017, and December 16, 2018.
The US DOJ said Inweregbu and co-conspirators “used online messaging platforms and email, to contact victims, introduce themselves, and appeal to victims’ longing for companionship”.
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“If the victim responded favorably, INWEREGBU and his co-conspirators began to cultivate a romantic relationship that emotionally attached the victims to ‘Larry Pham’,” the statement reads.
“Once the relationship was established, the defendant and his co-conspirators, posing as Larry Pham, requested victims send them money under various scams and ruses to domestic bank accounts they opened and managed.”
The US DOJ said the fraudulent scheme led to the loss of over $405,000 from the victims.
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“Thereafter, INWEREGBU and his co-conspirators laundered the funds, by conducting financial transactions using the proceeds of their wire and mail fraud scheme, designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds, by directing the victims’ funds through intermediaries,” the US government said.
“INWEREGBU faces up to twenty years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a fine of $250,000 as to Count 1.
“He faces up to twenty years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a fine of $500,000 as to Count 12.
“He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count. Sentencing before Judge Brown has been scheduled for December 4, 2025.”
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In December 2020, Iweregbu was sentenced to 18-month imprisonment with an option of N300,000 fine by the federal high court in Lagos over charges bordering on romance scam.
He was ordered to pay the sum of $15,000 in favour of the United States Consulate “being refund of part of the money he had unlawfully benefitted”.
