US Court Sentences Anambra LG Chairman To Five Years Imprisonment For Wire Fraud

A United States District Court in Tacoma, Washington, has sentenced a 42-year-old Nigerian national, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, to five years in prison for his involvement in a multi-million dollar online fraud scheme.

Nwadialo, who was elected as the chairman of the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State in September 2024, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at an airport in Texas upon his arrival in the United States later that year.

The sentencing followed a December 2023 indictment charging him with 14 counts of wire fraud related to an online romance scam that defrauded eight victims of approximately $3.5 million over 15 years.

During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright described the financial and emotional impact on the victims as devastating, noting that the scheme caused significant personal isolation and distress. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd also stated that the defendant manipulated vulnerable individuals by inventing various false personas and scenarios to gain their trust and financial assets.

According to court records, Nwadialo operated under various false names on digital dating platforms, falsely claiming to be a military officer deployed overseas to avoid in-person meetings. He routinely requested large sums of money from victims under the pretense of paying military fines, handling family funeral expenses, or funding school tuition.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Seattle field office, and prosecutors confirmed that the court has ordered appropriate legal accountability for the total financial losses incurred by the victims.