The Anambra State Government is considering electing a new council speaker, Franklin Nwadialo, who was recently arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on romance fraud charges.
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Nwadialo was arrested upon arrival at an airport in Texas on charges related to a multi-million dollar romance scam.
Mr. Nwadialo was indicted in December 2023 by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington and charged with 14 counts of wire fraud.
The defendants are accused of posing as domestic partners stationed in the US military to defraud victims of up to $2 million.
Mr. Nwadialo was traveling from Nigeria when he was detained. He will now be transferred to the Western District of Washington for arraignment.
The state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Dr. Mefo Law, said the government is not prepared to comment or defend the allegations against Franklin Nwadialo.
The arrested Nigerian was previously elected as chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Another source familiar with the case said the state governor was not satisfied with the chairman’s arrest and had plans to have his deputy take over the position.
If the allegations are confirmed by the government beyond reasonable doubt, the newly elected Anambra Council chairman could face a sentence of 20 years in prison. In a statement, U.S. Attorney Tessa M.
Gorman described the challenges of remotely prosecuting defendants involved in romance scams, saying, “These romance scam defendants are in remote locations and very often U.S. law enforcement agents are unable to reach them.”
She thanked investigators for their patience in bringing the defendants to court.
According to the indictment and indictment in the case, Nwadialo is suspected of defrauding his victims out of more than $3.3 million.
Nwadialo used various versions of the name “Giovanni” when he met his victims online on sites such as Match, Zoosk and Christian Café.
Nwadialo used fake photos in his profile and often told his victims he was in the military and stationed in remote locations and therefore could not meet them in person.