BISMARCK, ND (trfnews.i234.me) — Two Maryland men have received sentences for their involvement in a romance fraud scheme targeting elderly women via social media. Chinedu Ikenna Nwafor, 42, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced on December 17 in North Dakota to 25 months in prison and ordered to pay $180,000 in restitution. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
The scheme involved “foreign actors” impersonating U.S. military personnel to deceive victims into forming romantic connections online. The perpetrators fabricated stories to obtain money from the victims, such as covering legal issues. One victim from New Town, North Dakota, sent $200,000 after being deceived by someone posing as “General Joseph Martins” or “Diplomat David Jones.”
Nwafor and another conspirator, Vitus Uzoma Uzowuru, 56, of Glendale, Maryland, acted as intermediaries who collected funds from the victims and transferred the money to the foreign fraudsters. Uzowuru was sentenced in August to time served and three years of supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution.
The scheme has led to additional charges. Juliet Chinyere Molenda is awaiting trial on wire fraud allegations, accused of facilitating the transfer of $800,000 from another North Dakota victim who believed she was assisting a U.S. Marine.
The case highlights the importance of vigilance against elder fraud, which can be reported to the National Elder Fraud Hotline at (833) 372-8311.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for trfnews.i234.me