Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, the newly elected chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) upon his arrival at a Texas airport. The 40-year-old faces allegations of involvement in a multi-million-dollar romance fraud scheme.
Nwadialo was indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington in December 2023 on 14 counts of wire fraud. According to the indictment, he allegedly scammed victims of approximately $3.3 million, posing as a romantic partner claiming to be deployed with the U.S. military. Nwadialo’s arrest occurred as he traveled from Nigeria and he is expected to be transported to Washington state for arraignment.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman highlighted the complexities of prosecuting international romance scams. “All too often, the defendants in these romance scams are overseas and unreachable by U.S. law enforcement,” Gorman said, commending the investigators’ dedication in apprehending the defendant.
The criminal complaint details that Nwadialo used aliases, including various iterations of the name “Giovanni,” to lure victims on dating websites such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café. He allegedly used fake profile pictures and claimed to be in the military and stationed overseas, preventing in-person meetings. The scheme reportedly defrauded victims of millions of dollars under false pretenses.
