Nigerian National Jailed Two Years for Romance Scam and Money Laundering

BOSTON – A Nigerian national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in the theft of more than $2 million from at least six romance scam victims by transferring their money to cryptocurrency accounts that he controlled.  

Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 35, of Abuja, Nigeria, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to two years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Nwadavid was also ordered to pay $2,724,810.41 in restitution. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In June 2025, Nwadavid pleaded guilty to mail fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering and money laundering. Nwadavid was arrested in April 2025 after arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In January 2024, a federal grand jury in Boston indicted Nwadavid on charges of mail fraud and money laundering.

“Romance scams” recruit victims through advertisements for online relationships on dating or social media websites. Individuals perpetuating romance scams create fictitious profiles and then use them to gain victims’ trust through a purported romantic relationship. Perpetrators then direct their victims to send money or to conduct financial transactions involving other victims’ money under false pretenses, such as an urgent need for money to secure a multi-million-dollar inheritance or to pay for an unexpected hospitalization.  

Between in or about 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad. A victim from Massachusetts was tricked into receiving funds from victims around the United States and then passed the funds to Nwadavid through a series of cryptocurrency transactions. Nwadavid repeatedly accessed accounts in the victim’s name from overseas, to transfer the victims’ funds to accounts he controlled at LocalBitcoins, an online cryptocurrency platform.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

ProbitasReport Public Safety Alert: Recognizing and Avoiding Romance Scams

Probitas Report advises the public to exercise extreme caution with online relationships, especially when a contact quickly develops trust and then requests money for emergencies like medical bills or to secure an inheritance. Be aware that scammers often use victims to unknowingly transfer funds from others, and that cryptocurrency transactions are frequently used to make the stolen money difficult to trace and recover. We particularly urge Nigerians to be vigilant, as scammers may exploit shared nationality and cultural familiarity to create a false sense of trust and bypass suspicion. Never transfer money or engage in financial transactions for someone you have only met online.