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A 40-year-old Nigerian man, Leslie Chinedu Mba, who was living illegally in Houston, has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison for his role in a romance scam and business email compromise scheme.
The announcement was made Thursday, February 26, 2026, by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei in a Department of Justice press release.
Mba pleaded guilty on December 4, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to submit false statements in immigration documents.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner has ordered Mba to serve 228 months in federal prison. As a non-U.S. citizen, he is also expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
During the hearing, the court heard that victims were defrauded of more than $4 million.
“Of all the frauds perpetrated by Leslie Mba and his co-conspirators, their use of romance scams to deliberately target vulnerable and elderly Americans is most disturbing,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson.
“Romance scams cruelly manipulate trust, exploit the fear of loneliness, and leave victims both financially devastated and emotionally shattered. The FBI will continue to combat fraudsters whose schemes leave a wake of misery behind.”
From April 2018 to December 2023, Mba and accomplices in the United States and abroad orchestrated business email compromise and romance scams targeting unsuspecting victims.
The schemes began overseas, where co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to business email accounts and redirected payments to fraudulent bank accounts. Victims, believing they were paying legitimate businesses, instead had their funds funneled to accounts controlled by Mba and his associates.
Mba and others acted as money mules, opening or using existing bank accounts to collect and transfer the proceeds from the fraud. In addition, Mba attempted to obtain U.S. permanent residency through multiple fraudulent marriages after his initial application was denied and he was ordered removed from the country.
The scheme caused total losses of approximately $4 million.
Four others had previously pleaded guilty: Grace Morisho, 30; Rodgers Kadikilo, 30; Kristin Smith, 38; and Alexandra Golovko, 36, all of Houston. Morisho, Kadikilo, and Smith received sentences of 15 to 25 months, while Golovko was sentenced to five years’ probation.
Mba will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined in the near future.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Houston Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Alum.
