A U.S. District judge at Benton sentenced a Nigerian national to seven years in federal prison for conducting a romance scam that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from at least a dozen identified victims from across the United States. The victims were primarily comprised of elderly or disabled women who thought they were sending money at the request of romantic partner they had met online.
28-year-old Ogheneofejiro Godswill Uzokpa of Warri, Nigeria, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. In addition to imprisonment, the judge ordered Uzokpa to pay $329,470 in restitution to his victims.
According to court documents, Uzokpa and uncharged co-conspirators conducted a scheme to obtain money and other assets belonging to his victims between March 2020 and February 2021. Uzokpa and his co-conspirators took advantage of vulnerable women by developing personal, romantic relationships under false pretenses to gain their trust. Uzokpa then used other U.S.-based women, including a woman from Effingham as “money mules” to collect funds from the victims and transfer them to him in Nigeria.
US Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe says targeting vulnerable people to exploit through romance scams is cruel, as the perpetrators not only steal the victim’s money, but they also manipulate their emotions and rob them of a genuine relationship.
FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson says the FBI is determined to prevent victimization of the elderly and will not hesitate to reach across geographical boundaries to do so. He says they can’t stress enough how important it is to be aware of the red flags associated with these types of scams. ”Be cautious when someone you’ve never met in person, begins asking for money or personal information, and don’t hesitate to call us if you suspect you’re being victimized.’
Every year, thousands of Americans fall victim to romance scams. The Federal Trade Commission reports that Americans reported over 64,000 romance scams in 2023 with losses totaling $1.14 billion. If you believe you or a loved one has been victimized by a romance scam, please report the crime to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.
