40-year-old Nigerian, Inweregbu risks 20-year jail term in US over ‘$405,000 romance scam’

Daniel Chima Inweregbu, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, has formally pleaded guilty to charges of fraud as filed by the United States government.

The charges pertain to “conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and the use of an assumed name to facilitate a mail fraud scheme.”

According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice, Inweregbu engaged in an extensive romance scam aimed at American citizens from July 1, 2017, to December 16, 2018.

The Department of Justice reported that Inweregbu and his co-conspirators utilized online messaging platforms and email to reach out to victims, establish rapport, and exploit their desire for companionship.

“If the victim responded favorably, INWEREGBU and his co-conspirators began to cultivate a romantic relationship that emotionally attached the victims to ‘Larry Pham’,” the statement reads.

“Once the relationship was established, the defendant and his co-conspirators, posing as Larry Pham, requested victims send them money under various scams and ruses to domestic bank accounts they opened and managed.”

The US DOJ said the fraudulent scheme led to the loss of over $405,000 from the victims.

“Thereafter, INWEREGBU and his co-conspirators laundered the funds, by conducting financial transactions using the proceeds of their wire and mail fraud scheme, designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds, by directing the victims’ funds through intermediaries,” the US government said.

“INWEREGBU faces up to twenty years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a fine of $250,000 as to Count 1.

“He faces up to twenty years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a fine of $500,000 as to Count 12.

“He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count. Sentencing before Judge Brown has been scheduled for December 4, 2025.”

In December 2020, Iweregbu was sentenced to 18-month imprisonment with an option of N300,000 fine by the federal high court in Lagos over charges bordering on romance scam.

He was ordered to pay the sum of $15,000 in favour of the United States Consulate “being refund of part of the money he had unlawfully benefitted”.