Daniel Chima Inweregbu, 40, is a Nigerian who entered a guilty plea to a multi-year, meticulously planned romance scam that defrauded many US residents out of more than $400,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced this in a press statement issued by the Justice Department on Friday, August 29, 2025.
“On August 21, 2025, Inweregbu entered a guilty plea before United States District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown to two of the charges against him: conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and using an assumed name to commit a mail fraud scheme, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1342, 1343, and 1349 (Count 1), and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1)(B)(i), 1957, and 1956(h) (Count 12).
According to the statement, Inweregbu pled guilty on August 21, 2025 before United States District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown to two of the counts pending against him, including conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and using an assumed name to commit a mail fraud scheme, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1342, 1343 and 1349 (Count 1), and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1)(B)(i), 1957, and 1956(h) (Count 12).
Inweregbu’s plea stemmed from his role in a lengthy romance scam targeting American citizens.
According to court documents, a “romance scam” was a confidence scheme in which the perpetrator feigned romantic intentions towards a victim, gained their affection, and used the victim’s goodwill to commit fraud. These fraudulent acts might involve such acts as obtaining access to the victim’s money, bank accounts, credit cards, passports, e-mail accounts, or national identification numbers; convincing the victim to transmit things of value to the perpetrator or his witting or unwitting co-conspirators; or inducing the victim to, unintentionally, commit or participate in the commission of financial fraud against third parties on behalf of the perpetrator.
Between at least July 1, 2017, and December 16, 2018, Inweregbu and his co-conspirators, devised and operated a “romance scam” whereby they sought to obtain money and property from multiple American women, including 4 victims, by means of false and fraudulent representations and promises.
Specifically, Inweregbu and his co-conspirators created profiles on social media and online dating sites using the alias “Larry Pham,” purportedly a middle-aged male, to attract middle-aged female victims.
The co-conspirators, including Inweregbu used online messaging platforms and email, to contact victims, introduce themselves, and appeal to victims’ longing for companionship.
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.
Inweregbu’s scheme resulted in actual and intended losses to the victims of over $405,000.
