A 40-year-old Nigerian, Leslie Mba, has been sentenced to 19 years in a United States federal prison for his role in a large-scale romance scam and business email compromise scheme that defrauded victims of more than $4 million.
Mba, who is not a U.S. citizen, was handed a 228-month prison term by Judge David Hittner of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. He is also expected to face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence.
The conviction followed his guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to make false statements in immigration documents. The sentencing was announced on Monday by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
According to prosecutors, Mba operated between April 2018 and December 2023 as part of an international fraud ring that targeted individuals and businesses through online romance scams and compromised corporate email accounts.
Investigators revealed that members of the network unlawfully accessed company email systems, intercepted legitimate financial communications, and diverted payments intended for genuine vendors into bank accounts controlled by the conspirators in the United States.
Victims were led to believe they were paying legitimate business partners, only for their funds to be redirected to accounts linked to Mba and his associates. Authorities said Mba played a key role by opening and managing bank accounts used to receive and transfer the illicit proceeds, effectively serving as a money mule. Total losses from the scheme exceeded $4 million.
Commenting on the case, U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei described romance scams as particularly disturbing crimes.
“Romance scams are among the most reprehensible forms of fraud because they prey on the lonely and vulnerable, particularly elderly victims,” Ganjei said, adding that Mba and his co-conspirators also attempted to remain in the U.S. by deceiving immigration authorities.
The scheme was also condemned by Jason Hudson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Houston, who noted that such scams exploit trust and leave victims financially and emotionally devastated. He pledged that law enforcement agencies would continue to pursue those responsible.
Court documents further showed that after an immigration application was denied and he was ordered to leave the country, Mba allegedly sought to secure permanent residency through multiple sham marriages.
Four other Houston-based defendants — Grace Morisho, Rodgers Kadikilo, Kristin Smith, and Alexandra Golovko — had earlier pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme. Morisho, Kadikilo and Smith received prison terms ranging from 15 to 25 months, while Golovko was sentenced to five years’ probation.
Mba remains in custody and will be transferred to a federal correctional facility designated by the Bureau of Prisons.
