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A Nigerian national has been sentenced in federal court in Boston, U.S., for his role in stealing more than $2 million from at least six victims through romance scams and laundering the proceeds via cryptocurrency accounts he controlled.
Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 35, of Abuja, Nigeria, was sentenced on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to two years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Nwadavid was also ordered to pay $2,724,810.41 in restitution. Upon completing his sentence, he will be subject to deportation.
In June 2025, Nwadavid pleaded guilty to mail fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering, and money laundering. He had been arrested in April 2025 after arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom to Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport. A federal grand jury in Boston had indicted him in January 2024 on charges of mail fraud and money laundering.
“Romance scams” typically involve perpetrators creating fake profiles on dating or social media platforms to lure victims into fictitious relationships. Once trust is established, victims are persuaded to send money or move funds under false pretenses, such as securing a supposed inheritance or covering medical emergencies.
Between 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid participated in such scams, tricking multiple victims into sending money overseas. One Massachusetts victim was manipulated into receiving funds from victims across the U.S. and then transferring them to Nwadavid through cryptocurrency transactions.
Nwadavid accessed accounts in the victim’s name from abroad and funneled the stolen funds into accounts he controlled on LocalBitcoins, an online cryptocurrency exchange.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division.
