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By Goli Innocent
A 40-year-old Nigerian, Leslie Mba, has been sentenced to 19 years in a United States federal prison for his role in a $4m romance scam and business email compromise scheme. He is expected to face deportation after completing his jail term.
The sentence was handed down by US District Judge David Hittner, who ordered Mba to serve 228 months after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to make false statements in immigration documents.
The conviction was announced by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Prosecutors said that between 2018 and 2023, Mba and his accomplices ran a transnational fraud ring targeting individuals and businesses.
The syndicate allegedly hacked into business email accounts and diverted legitimate payments into accounts under their control in the US.
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“Victims believed they were sending money to legitimate businesses, but Mba and others instead funnelled the funds to accounts they controlled,” prosecutors said. The court heard that total losses from the scheme exceeded $4m.
US Attorney Nicholas Ganjei condemned the crime in strong terms. “Romance scams are among the lowest and most despicable forms of fraud because they prey upon the lonely and vulnerable, and disproportionately victimise senior citizens,” he said.
“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 added.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Houston said fraudsters continue to weaponise romance scams to manipulate victims emotionally and financially.
Four other Houston residents had earlier pleaded guilty in connection with the case, while Mba remains in custody pending transfer to a federal correctional facility.
