Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Nigerian national, Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, has pleaded guilty in a federal court in Boston for his role in a scheme that defrauded more than $2.5 million from six victims through romance scams. The funds were subsequently transferred to cryptocurrency accounts under his control.
Nwadavid, 35, from Abuja, Nigeria, admitted to charges of mail fraud and money laundering. His sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2025, by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin. He was apprehended in April 2025 after arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. His indictment on these charges occurred in January 2024.
According to the case documents, romance scams involve using fake profiles on dating or social media platforms to build trust with victims under the guise of a romantic relationship. Scammers then persuade victims to send money or perform financial transactions based on false pretenses such as securing an inheritance or paying medical bills.
Between 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid participated in such scams that deceived victims into sending money overseas. A Massachusetts victim was misled into receiving funds from five other U.S.-based victims and forwarding them to Nwadavid via cryptocurrency transactions. Nwadavid accessed accounts in the victim's name from abroad to transfer these funds to his accounts at LocalBitcoins.
The charge of mail fraud carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and fines reaching $250,000 or twice the loss incurred by the victim. Money laundering charges could result in up to 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and fines up to $500,000 or twice the property's value involved in laundering activities. Restitution and forfeiture are also applicable penalties.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks of the FBI's Boston Division announced this development. The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Mackenzie A. Queenin.
