A 40-year-old Nigerian national, Leslie Mba, has been sentenced to 19 years in a United States federal prison for his involvement in a $4 million romance scam and business email compromise scheme.
Mba, who is not a U.S. citizen, is expected to face deportation proceedings after completing his 228-month prison term. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge David Hittner following Mba’s guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to make false statements in immigration documents.
The conviction was announced on Monday by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
According to prosecutors, between April 2018 and December 2023, Mba and his co-conspirators operated a transnational fraud scheme targeting individuals and businesses through romance scams and compromised business email accounts.
Investigators revealed that members of the syndicate gained unauthorized access to business email accounts overseas and redirected legitimate payments into bank accounts under their control in the United States. Victims believed they were sending funds to legitimate businesses, but the money was instead diverted to accounts controlled by the conspirators.
Prosecutors said Mba acted as a money mule, opening or using bank accounts to receive and transfer fraudulent proceeds. The scheme resulted in losses exceeding $4 million.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei described the crimes as particularly troubling, noting that romance scams often target vulnerable individuals, especially senior citizens. He also stated that Mba attempted to remain in the United States under false pretenses by deceiving immigration authorities.
FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson condemned the scheme, saying it exploited victims’ trust and left them both financially and emotionally devastated.
Court documents further revealed that after his initial immigration application was denied and he was ordered removed from the U.S., Mba allegedly attempted to obtain permanent residency through multiple fraudulent marriages.
Four other Houston residents — Grace Morisho, Rodgers Kadikilo, Kristin Smith, and Alexandra Golovko — previously pleaded guilty in connection with the case. Morisho, Kadikilo, and Smith received prison sentences ranging from 15 to 25 months, while Golovko was sentenced to five years of probation.
Mba remains in custody pending transfer to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
