Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty to $405,000 U.S. Online Romance Scam

A 40-year-old Nigerian man, Daniel Chima Inweregbu, has pleaded guilty in a United States court to orchestrating a sophisticated online romance scam that defrauded multiple American citizens of over $405,000. The plea was entered on August 21, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown in the Eastern District of Louisiana, according to a statement by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

Between July 2017 and December 2018, Inweregbu and co-conspirators created a fictitious identity named “Larry Pham” on social media and dating platforms to engage with middle-aged American women. They forged romantic relationships to build victims’ trust and subsequently persuaded them to send money to U.S.-based bank accounts controlled by the fraudsters. The scam targeted at least four women who suffered direct losses, with additional victims affected through similar fraudulent schemes.

Following the fraud, the accused laundered the stolen money by transferring funds through intermediaries to conceal the origin and ownership of the proceeds. He faces up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering, alongside significant fines and supervised release terms. Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2025.

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Inweregbu was previously convicted in Nigeria in 2020 for a related romance scam, receiving an 18-month prison sentence with an option for a fine, as well as an order to refund $15,000 to the U.S. Consulate.

The case was investigated by the FBI with support from the U.S. Department of State and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is prosecuting the case.

This latest conviction underscores ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat online romance scams that exploit emotions for financial gain, particularly against vulnerable individuals in the U.S. and beyond .