Franklin Nwadialo, the newly elected chairperson of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria, was detained by U.S. authorities shortly after landing in Texas.
The 40-year-old was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Saturday as part of an ongoing investigation, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday.
Mr. Nwadialo faces accusations of orchestrating a romance scam, allegedly deceiving victims out of more than $3.3 million.
Prosecutors claim he used fake identities under the name “Giovanni” on various dating sites like Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café, where he posed as a military officer stationed overseas. This pretense allowed him to avoid in-person meetings, while inventing reasons for his victims to send him money.
The Justice Department detailed several instances where Mr. Nwadialo reportedly fabricated stories to secure funds from his victims. In one case from 2020, he convinced a woman he had been fined by the military for disclosing his location, prompting her to send $150,000. That victim ultimately lost $2.4 million.
In another incident, Mr. Nwadialo is said to have asked a victim in 2019 to help move funds linked to his “father’s death,” resulting in a $330,000 transfer.
A third victim reportedly invested over $270,000 in a cryptocurrency account controlled by Mr. Nwadialo, believing it to be part of an investment scheme.
Also in August 2020, a victim sent $310,000 after he claimed he needed funds for his father’s funeral and his son’s education.
The politician was originally indicted in December 2023 on 14 counts of wire fraud. If found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Meanwhile, speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, on Saturday, Anambra State’s Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, acknowledged the arrest, stating that the state government has no direct involvement, as local governments are autonomous.
“The local government chairman was elected by his community and party members, not appointed by Governor Charles Soludo,” Mr. Mefor explained.
He noted that the government had not yet discussed the arrest, adding, “He is not an appointee of the state, but we are concerned as he is from our state.”
Mr. Nwadialo, a member of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was elected as chairperson on September 28 and was officially sworn in on October 4, only one month before his arrest in the United States.
