A United States federal court in Minnesota has sentenced Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, a 37-year-old Nigerian national, to 71 months in federal prison for defrauding a widow out of $1.6 million in a romance scam. Akindele was found guilty of wire fraud and money laundering after posing as a wealthy Italian American businessman on a dating website.
According to court documents, Akindele began communicating with the victim in February 2018, fabricating a persona and convincing her to send him money under false pretenses. He directed the victim to open a cryptocurrency exchange account, where she eventually wired over $1.6 million. Akindele then laundered the funds across multiple crypto exchanges, converting them into various cryptocurrencies before depositing the money into his own bank accounts.
Key Details of the Case:
– Sentence: 71 months in federal prison
– Restitution: $1,692,945
– Forfeiture: A money judgment of $1,692,945
– Deportation: Akindele will be deported to Nigeria after serving his sentence
US Attorney Peter McNeilly emphasized the importance of caution when engaging with people online, especially when asked for money. The FBI Denver Field Office conducted the investigation, and Assistant US Attorney Martha A. Paluch handled the prosecution.
This case highlights the growing threat of romance scams, with Americans reporting over 64,000 cases and losses totaling $1.14 billion in 2023. The FBI encourages individuals to report suspected romance scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at (link unavailable).