A Nigerian national is facing charges for his alleged involvement in a romance scam and money laundering operation that reportedly defrauded six victims of over $2.5 million.
Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 34, was taken into custody on April 7, 2025, upon his arrival from the United Kingdom at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in Boston in January 2024, includes accusations of mail fraud and money laundering. Nwadavid appeared before a federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 8, 2025, and will remain detained until further proceedings. His appearance in a federal court in Boston will be scheduled later.
The charging documents define "romance scams" as fraudulent schemes that engage victims through online advertisements for relationships. Scammers use false profiles to gain trust and manipulate victims into sending money or performing financial transactions under misleading pretenses, such as the urgent need for funds to access an inheritance or cover unexpected medical expenses.
Nwadavid allegedly engaged in these scams between 2016 and September 2019, deceiving individuals into transferring money internationally. To obscure his involvement, he reportedly enlisted the help of a Massachusetts resident, referred to as Victim 1, to receive money from five other victims across the United States. Nwadavid is accused of convincing Victim 1 to transfer funds, including her own, to him via cryptocurrency transactions, accessing accounts in her name from abroad, and moving the victims’ funds to accounts under his control at LocalBitcoins, an online cryptocurrency platform.
The mail fraud charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, supervised release up to three years, and a fine up to $250,000 or twice the loss amount to the victim, along with restitution and forfeiture. The money laundering charges could result in up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine reaching $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered assets, plus restitution and forfeiture. Deportation is likely after serving any imposed sentence. All sentences are determined by a federal district court judge, as outlined by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutes.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin is handling the prosecution.
The charges in the documents remain allegations. Nwadavid is considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
