- Leslie Mba sentenced to 19 years in US federal prison
- $4 million romance fraud scheme targeted elderly victims
- Attempted fake marriages to secure US residency
- Faces deportation after completing prison term
A Nigerian national, Leslie Mba, has been sentenced to 19 years in a United States federal prison for his role in a $4 million romance fraud scheme that targeted vulnerable victims and small businesses across the country.
A United States court has handed down a 19-year prison sentence to Leslie Chinedu Mba for his involvement in a large-scale romance fraud and business email compromise operation that caused losses of about $4 million.
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The sentence was delivered by David Hittner, a judge of the U.S. District Court, who ordered Mba to serve 228 months behind bars. Authorities confirmed that he will also face deportation proceedings after completing his prison term.
The case was announced by Nicholas J. Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. He revealed that Mba pleaded guilty on December 4, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to make false statements in immigration documents.
According to court records, between April 2018 and December 2023, Mba and his co-conspirators ran coordinated online scams targeting individuals and businesses within the United States.
The criminal network reportedly began operations overseas. Hackers gained unauthorized access to legitimate business email accounts and redirected payments meant for real transactions into fraudulent accounts. Victims believed they were paying trusted companies, but the money was diverted to accounts controlled by Mba and his associates.
Prosecutors described Mba as one of the “money mules” who opened and managed bank accounts used to receive and transfer stolen funds.
Beyond business email fraud, the group also carried out romance scams — schemes that emotionally manipulated victims into sending money.
Ganjei did not mince words when addressing the damage caused.
“Romance scams are among the lowest and most despicable forms of fraud because they prey upon the lonely and vulnerable, and disproportionately victimise senior citizens,” he said.
“Even worse, Mba and his confederates committed these crimes while attempting to remain in our country under false pretenses by deceiving immigration authorities. Now, Mba has prison to look forward to, followed by a one-way ticket back to Nigeria.”
The investigation further revealed that Mba attempted to secure U.S. permanent residency through multiple fraudulent marriages after his original immigration request was denied and he was ordered removed from the country.
Also commenting on the case was Jason Hudson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Houston office.
“Romance scams cruelly manipulate trust, exploit the fear of loneliness, and leave victims financially devastated and emotionally shattered,” Hudson stated.
“The FBI will continue to combat fraudsters whose schemes leave a wake of misery behind.”
Authorities confirmed that the fraud scheme resulted in approximately $4 million in total losses.
Four other Houston-based defendants — Grace Morisho, Rodgers Kadikilo, Kristin Smith, and Alexandra Golovko — had earlier pleaded guilty in connection with the case.