A Nigerian citizen has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for his involvement in a romance scam that targeted several American women over a period of years. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Daniel Chima Inweregbu, age 40, from Lagos, Nigeria, received the sentence from United States District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, use of an assumed name to commit mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Inweregbu was arrested when he traveled from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and was extradited to the United States in July 2025. In addition to imprisonment, Judge Brown ordered Inweregbu to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term, pay a $100 special assessment fee, and make restitution payments totaling $166,400.
According to court documents, the scheme involved creating fake profiles on social media and online dating sites using the alias “Larry Pham,” who was described as a middle-aged Canadian-born Vietnamese man. Inweregbu and his co-conspirators used these profiles to establish romantic relationships with victims. Once trust was established, they requested money under various false pretenses and directed funds into domestic bank accounts they controlled.
The operation ran between at least July 1, 2017, and December 16, 2018. Four identified victims suffered actual and intended losses exceeding $405,000 as a result of the scam. The perpetrators laundered the proceeds by conducting financial transactions designed to conceal their origin and ownership.
U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its work on this case and acknowledged support from the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs and the Department of State. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg led the prosecution.
“U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the great support provided by United States Department of Justice Office of International Affairs and the United States Department of State.”
