Nigerian national sentenced after romance scam cons Colorado woman out of $1.6 million
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado has announced that a Nigerian national, who was previously living in Minnesota, has been sentenced after scamming a woman out of $1.6 million in a catfishing scheme.
Prosecutors say that Adetomiwa Seun Akindele faces 71 months in prison, followed by deportation.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Akindele posed as a wealthy Italian American businessman online. Working under the name "Frank Labato," he romanced a widowed Colorado woman, prosecutors say.
After about a month of contact, Akindele reportedly told the victim that he was having a financial crisis related to his work overseas and needed money from the victim. The victim wired Akindele $1.6 million, prosecutors say.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says he then converted the money into different cryptocurrencies, laundering it until he eventually exchanged it back into U.S. dollars and deposited it into his bank accounts.
“This sentence both serves justice to the victim and helps prevent this individual from scamming someone else,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “This case should be a reminder to the public to be cautious when engaging with people they meet online - especially when those people are asking for money.”
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
