Alamdar Hamdani U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Houston man, aged 47, has pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy in a romance scheme that targeted citizens across the United States, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Darlington Akporugo confessed to playing a significant role in the romance scam operating out of Houston. The scheme victimized individuals from various locations, including Chicago and Kentucky. Akporugo collaborated with others to deceive victims through online romantic relationships, convincing them to transfer money into bank accounts under his control.
Akporugo and his accomplices used fake identities on social media platforms to build trust with their targets before persuading them to invest in fictitious businesses or provide funds for fabricated personal situations.
In his plea agreement, Akporugo acknowledged approaching potential victims primarily via social media sites like Facebook. He then instructed them to send money either directly to him or his associates' accounts, which was often transferred overseas.
Beyond receiving cash and wire transfers, Akporugo also admitted he had victims open lines of credit in his name and even purchase a luxury vehicle for his use.
Authorities identified over 25 victims during the investigation into the multi-year operation, most of whom were retired or elderly. The total losses from this fraudulent activity exceed $3 million.
"As we unfortunately have seen, victims of romance scams suffer tremendous financial loss, sometimes amounting to their entire life savings," said Ganjei. "Those who have fallen prey to such fraudsters are often too embarrassed to come forward and report the incident to law enforcement. Although this is an understandable reaction, we encourage victims to nonetheless come forward as their story may help prevent future victimization of others."
U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge will deliver sentencing on June 6. Akporugo faces up to 20 years in federal prison along with a potential maximum fine of $250,000.
He remains in custody until the sentencing hearing takes place.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations while Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.
