Nigerian Man faces 40-Year Jail Term, deportation in U.S. over $2.5m scam

A Nigerian man based in Abuja, Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, is facing up to 40 years imprisonment and subsequent deportation in the United States over his alleged involvement in a $2.5 million romance scam.

This development was made public through a statement released on the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) website on Wednesday. According to the statement, Nwadavid was arrested on April 7, 2025, shortly after arriving in the United States from the United Kingdom via a flight that landed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Nwadavid, aged 34, had been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in January 2024 on charges of mail fraud and money laundering. He made his initial court appearance in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 8 and remains in custody pending further legal proceedings. He is expected to appear in a federal court in Boston at a later date.

The DoJ noted that between 2016 and 2019, Nwadavid was allegedly involved in romance scams targeting six victims across the United States. He reportedly stole over $2.5 million and laundered the money by converting it to cryptocurrency under his control.

In an attempt to cover his tracks, Nwadavid is accused of manipulating a Massachusetts-based victim (identified as Victim 1) into receiving money from five other victims and then transferring the funds to him through cryptocurrency transactions. He allegedly accessed online accounts in the victim’s name and redirected the stolen funds to his own crypto wallets on LocalBitcoins, an online cryptocurrency trading platform.

“Between in or about 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid allegedly participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad,” the DoJ said. “He then allegedly tricked Victim 1 into passing her own and the other victims’ money to him through cryptocurrency transactions.”

Although the suspect remains innocent until proven guilty, he faces serious penalties if convicted. The mail fraud charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the loss to victims, in addition to restitution and forfeiture.

Likewise, the money laundering charge attracts up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount laundered, restitution, and forfeiture.

The DoJ further stated that Nwadavid would be deported following the completion of any prison term imposed.

The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutory provisions.