$3M Romance Scam Couple Gets 188, 121 Months

A Houston couple’s romance scam targeting citizens nationwide has landed them in prison. Darlington Akporugo, 47, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, while his wife Jasmin Sood, 37, aka Jaslynn Washington, entered a plea to the same charges.

U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge imposed a 188-month-term of imprisonment for Akporugo, while Sood received 121 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences and pay full restitution of $3,123,073.

At the hearing, four victims testified about the couple’s persistent lies and false promises, which led them to send large sums of money. One victim told the court how the pair coerced her into buying a luxury vehicle and renting a mansion for them. Authorities arrested the couple while they were driving the victim’s vehicle and living in her rented home.

The scheme, described by the court as heartless and far-reaching, targeted older women, including several widows. Judge Eskridge highlighted the financial devastation left in their wake and commended the victims for their courage in coming forward.

Akporugo admitted to being a central figure in a long-running romance scheme based in Houston that targeted victims from Chicago to Kentucky. He and others lured victims through online romances and convinced them to send money to bank accounts he controlled. Sood created fake businesses and bank accounts under aliases and used disguises to deposit the funds.

To carry out the scheme, Akporugo and his co-conspirators used fake names on social media to gain victims’ trust and persuade them to invest in non-existent businesses or provide funds for invented personal circumstances. Akporugo admitted to directing victims-mostly older individuals-to send money through platforms like Facebook.

“Investigating and prosecuting those that perpetuate romance scams—particularly those who target the lonely elderly—will always be a priority for the Southern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “We applaud those victims courageous enough to notify authorities, and we encourage others who have been victimized to similarly come forward.”

ICE-HSI conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.