A Nigerian citizen, 37-year-old Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, has been handed a 71-month prison term in a federal court in Minnesota for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded a widow of $1.6 million.
Before his arrest, Akindele lived in Minnesota. Following his guilty plea to charges of wire fraud and money laundering, he was ordered to pay restitution and a forfeiture judgment totaling $1,692,945. Upon completion of his sentence, he will be deported back to Nigeria.
The announcement was made public by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado through a Department of Justice press release dated Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
According to the plea deal, from January to October 2018, Akindele assumed the identity of “Frank Labato,” a wealthy Italian American businessman, on a dating platform where he connected with a widowed woman from Colorado.
Starting in February 2018, Akindele initiated email correspondence with the victim, progressing to phone conversations by March. Throughout their interactions, he fabricated elaborate stories about his career and personal life, supported by counterfeit photos and documents to reinforce his false identity.
In March 2018, Akindele claimed to be facing a financial emergency related to his supposed overseas business ventures, requesting monetary help from the victim.
Following his instructions, the victim opened an account on a cryptocurrency exchange and transferred over $1.6 million. Akindele then converted these funds into various cryptocurrencies, moved them through multiple exchanges to obscure their origin, and finally converted the assets back into U.S. dollars, depositing them into his personal bank accounts.
To maintain the victim’s trust, Akindele deceitfully promised repayment, issuing three fraudulent promissory notes as assurances of reimbursement for the “loans” he solicited.
United States Attorney Peter McNeilly emphasized, “This sentence delivers justice for the victim and prevents further exploitation by this individual. It serves as a cautionary tale for anyone engaging with strangers online, especially when financial requests are involved.”
FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek added, “Romance fraudsters are persistent and manipulative, exploiting emotions and trust. This case was particularly severe, but thanks to thorough investigative efforts, the offender was apprehended and held accountable.”
The sentencing was overseen by United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney.
The FBI Denver Field Office led the investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Martha A. Paluch prosecuting the case.
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