Denver – In a stunning turn of events, Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, a 37-year-old Nigerian national, has been sentenced to 71 months in federal prison for his role in a romantic scheme that defrauded a Colorado woman out of over $1.6 million.
Akindele, who had been residing in Minnesota before his arrest, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. The court also ordered him to pay the same amount in restitution and impose a forfeiture money judgement. Upon completing his sentence, Akindele will be deported back to Nigeria.
The plea agreement reveals that Akindele posed as a wealthy Italian American businessman named “Frank Labato” on a dating website. He began communicating with the victim in February 2018, eventually leading her to believe he was facing a financial crisis related to his overseas work. The unsuspecting woman opened a cryptocurrency exchange account and wired over $1.6 million into it as directed by Akindele. He then converted the funds into various cryptocurrencies, laundered them through multiple exchanges, and deposited them back into his own bank accounts.
“This sentence both serves justice to the victim and helps prevent this individual from scamming someone else,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Be cautious when engaging with people online who ask for money.”
FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek echoed these sentiments, noting that romance scammers prey on trust and emotion. “This was an egregious case,” he said, “and through relentless investigative work, the perpetrator was tracked down and brought to justice.”
The sentencing was presided over by United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Denver Field Office, with Assistant United States Attorney Martha A. Paluch handling the prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: Colorado
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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