A Nigerian man, Adetomiwa Akindele, has been sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison for defrauding an elderly American woman of a staggering $1.6 million. The sentence was handed down by Judge Charlotte Sweeney of a United States District Court, with an order for Akindele’s deportation back to Nigeria upon completion of his jail term.
The criminal act occurred between January and October 2018, when Akindele posed as a wealthy Italian-American businessman named Frank Labato. Through a series of fraudulent communications, he convinced the victim that he was in a financial crisis and needed her assistance to resolve it. Akindele’s scheme led the unsuspecting victim to open a cryptocurrency exchange account, where she eventually transferred over $1.6 million as instructed.
In his deceptive emails and calls, Akindele provided fabricated personal and work details to substantiate his fake identity. The victim, trusting him, followed his instructions and wired the funds to his designated account. Once received, Akindele converted the money into cryptocurrencies, laundering it across multiple addresses before depositing the funds into his personal bank accounts.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) highlighted that Akindele also issued fraudulent “promissory notes” to assure the victim that the money would be repaid. However, no repayments were made, and Akindele continued his deception until his arrest.
Upon his guilty plea to charges of wire fraud and money laundering, Akindele was sentenced to nearly six years in prison. He was also ordered to pay $1,692,945 in restitution to the victim, which represents the full amount he defrauded her of.
The case adds to a growing list of Nigerian nationals who have faced criminal convictions in the United States. Just days prior, another Nigerian, Ehis Akhimie, was sentenced to over eight years for his role in a $6 million inheritance scam that targeted over 400 elderly victims.
With Akindele’s case, the US Department of Justice underscores the ongoing efforts to combat financial crimes, especially those involving vulnerable individuals.
In the coming months, Akindele is expected to serve his prison term before being deported to Nigeria, where he will likely face further legal consequences.
