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A Nigerian national, Adetomiwa Seun Akindele has been sentenced to 71 months successful national situation for a $1.6 cardinal romance scam.
He was besides ordered to wage $1,692,945 successful restitution and a matching forfeiture judgment. Upon completing his sentence, Akindele volition beryllium deported to Nigeria.
According to his plea agreement, betwixt January and October 2018, Akindele posed arsenic a affluent Italian American businessman, “Frank Labato,” connected a dating site, targeting a widowed Colorado woman.
He emailed and called the victim, providing mendacious idiosyncratic details and photos to enactment his fictitious identity.
In March 2018, Akindele claimed helium was facing a fiscal situation and persuaded the unfortunate to unfastened a cryptocurrency speech account, done which she wired implicit $1.6 million.
He laundered the funds crossed aggregate crypto exchanges earlier depositing them into his accounts. Akindele besides issued 3 fraudulent “promissory notes” to reassure the unfortunate she would beryllium repaid.
“This condemnation some serves justness to the unfortunate and helps forestall this idiosyncratic from scamming idiosyncratic else,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly successful a property merchandise from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“This lawsuit should beryllium a reminder to the nationalist to beryllium cautious erstwhile engaging with radical they conscionable online—especially erstwhile those radical are asking for money.”
“Romance scammers are relentless and cunning, preying connected spot and emotion to exploit victims,” said FBI Denver Special Agent successful Charge Mark Michalek. “This was an egregious case, and done relentless investigative enactment the perpetrator was tracked down and brought to justice.”
The sentencing was presided implicit by United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney. The FBI Denver Field Office investigated the case, with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Martha A. Paluch.
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