Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, the newly elected chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA) in Anambra State, Nigeria, was arrested on Friday upon arrival at a Texas airport.
The 40-year-old Nigerian national is facing 14 charges of wire fraud in connection with a multi-million-dollar romance scam totaling over $3.3 million.
Nwadialo was apprehended while traveling from Nigeria and will be transported to the Western District of Washington for arraignment.
The charges stem from an alleged scheme in which Nwadialo posed as a U.S. military officer stationed overseas, scamming victims he met through online dating platforms such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café.
According to an indictment filed in December 2023, Nwadialo used several aliases, including “Giovanni,” and fabricated stories to convince victims to send him money. He claimed to be in urgent need of financial help due to military fines, family emergencies, and failed investments.
One victim reportedly lost $2.4 million after being told Nwadialo was fined by the military for revealing his location.
U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman praised the investigators for their perseverance in apprehending Nwadialo, noting that romance scam suspects are often hard to catch due to their location overseas. “Romance scam defendants are frequently out of reach for U.S. law enforcement,” she said.
The FBI has been handling the investigation, and if convicted, Nwadialo could face up to 20 years in prison per charge. His arrest underscores the growing issue of international fraud schemes preying on vulnerable individuals online.
The charges are still allegations, and Nwadialo is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sok Jiang.
