A U.S. court has sentenced Nigerian citizen, Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, to 71 months in prison for defra¥ding a Colorado widow of $1.6 million through a romance sc@m.
Akindele, using the false identity of “Frank Labato,” a supposed Italian-American businessman, tricked the victim into opening a cryptocurrency account and transferring over $1.6 million between January and October 2018.
According to prosecutors, he reinforced the sc@m with emails, phone calls, and stolen photos, later claiming to face a financial crisis. He funneled the funds through multiple crypto exchanges before moving them into his personal accounts. To allay suspicion, he even issued the victim three fake promissory notes, none of which were honored.
Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney not only handed down the prison sentence but also ordered Akindele to repay $1,692,945 and forfeit the same amount. He will be deported to Nigeria after serving his term.
FBI Denver Special Agent Mark Michalek described romance scammers as “relentless and cunning,” while U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly said the sentence delivers justice and helps protect future victims.
The case was investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha A. Paluch.
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