71 months for Romance Scam: Nigerian dupes US widow of $1.6m

A U.S. court has sentenced Nigerian national Adetomiwa Seun Akindele to 71 months in prison for orchestrating a $1.6 million romance scam that fleeced a Colorado widow.

Akindele, who posed online as a wealthy Italian-American businessman named Frank Labato, lured his victim into opening a cryptocurrency exchange account, through which she wired over $1.6m between January and October 2018.

Prosecutors said he backed up his fake identity with emails, calls, and stolen photos, before claiming he was in a financial crisis. He then laundered the stolen money across multiple crypto exchanges and deposited it into his personal accounts.

To calm suspicions, Akindele issued the victim three fraudulent “promissory notes”, promising repayment that never came.

Alongside the prison term, Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney ordered him to repay the full $1,692,945 and forfeit an equal amount. Upon completing his sentence, Akindele will be deported back to Nigeria.

“Romance scammers are relentless and cunning, preying on trust and emotion,” FBI Denver Special Agent Mark Michalek said, hailing the case as an example of tracking down “an egregious scammer.”

U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly added that the punishment was meant to serve justice and protect others from falling victim.

The FBI Denver Field Office investigated the case, with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha A. Paluch.