A Nigerian national, Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, has admitted guilt in a federal court in Boston for his involvement in a scheme that defrauded over $2.5 million from six victims through romance scams. The 35-year-old from Abuja, Nigeria, entered a guilty plea to charges of mail fraud and money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin has set the sentencing date for September 23, 2025.
Nwadavid was apprehended in April 2025 upon arriving at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport from the United Kingdom. His indictment on charges of mail fraud and money laundering came from a federal grand jury in Boston in January 2024.
The charging documents explain that “romance scams” involve recruiting victims via online relationship advertisements on dating or social media platforms. Scammers create fake profiles to build trust with victims under the guise of romantic relationships, eventually persuading them to send money or engage in financial transactions under false pretenses such as securing an inheritance or covering unexpected medical expenses.
Between 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid participated in these scams by deceiving victims into sending funds abroad. To obscure the final recipient of these funds, one Massachusetts victim received money from five other victims across the United States and then transferred it to Nwadavid through cryptocurrency transactions. Nwadavid accessed accounts under this victim’s name from overseas to transfer funds to accounts he controlled on LocalBitcoins, an online cryptocurrency platform.
The charge of mail fraud carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release, and fines up to $250,000 or twice the loss amount. Money laundering charges also carry similar penalties with fines up to $500,000 or twice the property’s value involved in laundering transactions. Upon completing any imposed sentence, Nwadavid may face deportation.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Mackenzie A. Queenin are handling the prosecution.
