A 40 year old Nigerian man, Leslie Chinedu Mba, illegally living in Houston pleaded guilty in December 2025 and has been sentenced to nearly two decades in federal prison for masterminding a romance scam and business email fraud ring that stole over four million dollars from vulnerable Americans.
He pleaded guilty and now faces deportation to Nigeria after serving his time the US Department of Justice.
“Romance scams are among the lowest and most despicable forms of fraud because they prey upon the lonely and vulnerable and disproportionately victimize senior citizens” said US Attorney Nicholas J Ganjei.
“These online scams Mba and his friends perpetrated jeopardized the livelihood of family run businesses the ability of elderly individuals to retire and exploited the trust that fuels our economy.
"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.”
From April 2018 to December 2023 Mba and international accomplices hacked business emails to divert legitimate payments into fake accounts while running romance cons that built fake relationships to extract money from lonely often elderly victims.
Mba served as a key money mule laundering proceeds through US bank accounts he controlled or opened.
After his initial US residency bid failed and removal was ordered he pursued permanent status through multiple sham marriages further compounding his crimes.
“Out of all the frauds perpetrated by Leslie Mba and his co conspirators their weaponization of romance scams to deliberately target vulnerable and elderly Americans is most disturbing” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson.
“Romance scams cruelly manipulate trust callously exploit the fear of loneliness and leave victims both financially devastated and emotionally shattered. The FBI will continue to combat fraudsters whose schemes leave a wake of misery behind.”
Four Houston based co conspirators Grace Morisho, Rodgers Kadikilo, Kristin Smith and Alexandra Golovko previously pleaded guilty receiving sentences from 15 to 25 months or probation while Mba was handed a 228-month term.
The four million dollar haul devastated small family businesses and retirees who lost savings meant for security and peace.
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