A 40-year-old Nigerian national has been handed a 19-year federal prison sentence in the United States after orchestrating a years-long fraud operation that combined romance scams and business email compromise schemes, ultimately stealing more than $4 million from unsuspecting victims.
Leslie Chinedu Mba, who had pleaded guilty in December 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making false statements in immigration documents, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Hittner in Houston. As a non-citizen, Mba is expected to face deportation back to Nigeria once his sentence is complete.
How the Scheme Worked
Prosecutors say the fraud ran from April 2018 to December 2023, with Mba and a network of collaborators targeting both individuals and businesses across the United States and beyond. The operation was calculated and methodical — co-conspirators based overseas would hack into legitimate business email accounts and quietly redirect payment instructions, steering funds into bank accounts controlled by the syndicate. Victims, believing they were paying genuine business partners or sending money to romantic interests they had developed feelings for online, unknowingly handed their savings directly to fraudsters.
Mba’s specific role was that of a money mule — opening and operating bank accounts used to receive, launder, and redistribute the stolen funds throughout the criminal network.
“One-Way Ticket Back to Nigeria”
U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei did not mince words at sentencing, singling out romance scams as among the most morally reprehensible forms of financial crime for the way they deliberately exploit loneliness and emotional vulnerability — particularly among elderly victims.
Ganjei revealed an additional layer of brazenness to Mba’s conduct: even as the fraud was ongoing, Mba was simultaneously deceiving U.S. immigration authorities in a bid to remain in the country. After his initial residency application was denied and he had been ordered deported, Mba allegedly entered into multiple fraudulent marriages in attempts to secure a green card.
“Now, Mba has prison to look forward to, followed by a one-way ticket back to Nigeria,” Ganjei said.
FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson, whose office investigated the case alongside the Houston Police Department, emphasized the lasting psychological damage inflicted on victims beyond the financial losses. “Romance scams cruelly manipulate trust, exploit the fear of loneliness and leave victims both financially devastated and emotionally shattered,” he said.
Co-Conspirators Also Sentenced
Four Houston residents connected to the scheme had previously entered guilty pleas. Grace Morisho, 30, and Rodgers Kadikilo, 30, received shorter custodial terms, as did Kristin Smith, 38, with sentences in the range of 15 to 25 months. Alexandra Golovko, 36, was sentenced to five years’ probation.
Mba, who received by far the harshest sentence of the group, will remain in custody while awaiting transfer to a designated federal facility. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Alum.
