March 03, (THEWILL) — A United States federal court has sentenced a 40-year-old Nigerian, Leslie Mba, to 19 years’ imprisonment for his role in a $4 million romance scam and business email compromise scheme that spanned five years and targeted multiple victims.
THEWILL reports that the 228-month sentence was handed down by Judge David Hittner after Mba, whom authorities described as a “money mule”, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to make false statements in immigration documents.
The development was disclosed in a statement by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Prosecutors said that between April 2018 and December 2023, Mba and his co-conspirators operated a transnational fraud network targeting individuals and businesses through online romance scams and compromised corporate email accounts.
Investigators revealed that the syndicate gained unauthorised access to business email systems abroad and diverted legitimate payments into U.S.-based bank accounts under their control.
“Victims believed they were sending money to legitimate businesses, but Mba and others instead funnelled the funds to accounts they controlled”, the statement noted.
Authorities said Mba opened or used bank accounts to receive and transfer stolen funds on behalf of the fraud ring. The court heard that total losses from the scheme exceeded $4 million.
Beyond the financial crimes, prosecutors said the defendant also attempted to manipulate the U.S. immigration system. After an initial immigration application was denied and he was ordered removed from the country, he allegedly sought permanent residency through multiple fraudulent marriages.
U.S. Attorney, Nicholas Ganjei, condemned the conduct, describing romance scams as particularly despicable because they prey on the lonely and vulnerable, especially senior citizens.
“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”, Ganjei said.
Also reacting, Jason Hudson, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Houston Field Office, said the fraudsters weaponised trust to devastate their victims emotionally and financially, vowing continued efforts to track down and prosecute perpetrators of similar schemes.
Four other Houston residents — Grace Morisho, Rodgers Kadikilo, Kristin Smith and Alexandra Golovko — had earlier pleaded guilty in connection with the case. Morisho, Kadikilo and Smith received prison terms ranging from 15 to 25 months, while Golovko was sentenced to five years’ probation.
Mba, who is not a U.S. citizen, remains in custody and will be transferred to a federal correctional facility designated by the Bureau of Prisons to serve his sentence. He is also expected to face deportation proceedings upon completion of his prison term.
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