Nigerian man arrested upon landing in Houston in alleged romance fraud that netted millions

AI-assisted summary
• Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, 40, was arrested in Texas on charges of wire fraud related to a romance scheme.
• Nwadialo allegedly used dating sites and false pretenses to defraud at least four victims of over $3.3 million.
• If convicted, Nwadialo faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud.

A Nigerian man in Texas has been arrested in connection with what federal authorities say was a romance fraud scheme that netted more than $3.3 million.

Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, 40, on Saturday after arriving at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, the FBI announced on Tuesday. He was traveling from Nigeria and is now being taken to the Western District of Washington for his arraignment.

Nwadialo was indicted last December on 14 counts of wire fraud stemming from a romance scheme that scammed four people. He allegedly defrauded victims of at least $3.3 million with the help of co-conspirators who have not been identified, according to the indictment and criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY on Thursday.

"All too often the defendants in these romance scams are overseas and unreachable by U.S. law enforcement," U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman said in a statement "I congratulate investigators who are alert to any opportunity to arrest such defendants and hold them accountable."

USA TODAY was unable to determine whether Nwadialo has been assigned an attorney as of Thursday evening.

Victims told they couldn't meet because he was deployed overseas

Nwadialo is accused of lying to convince victims to send him money through online dating services like Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café, according to the indictment.

Using false images for his profile, Nwadialo allegedly told victims he couldn't meet in-person because he served in the military and was deployed overseas, according to the indictment.

He allegedly went by different versions of the name "Giovanni," including "Tony Giovanni" and "David Giovanni."

Lies include military fine, father's funeral and son's tuition: FBI

In November 2020, authorities say Nwadialo allegedly asked a victim to pay a $150,000 fine placed by the military because he revealed his location to them, according to the indictment.

In 2019, he is accused of telling a different person he needed help moving money after his father’s death, according to the indictment. That victim up transferred at least $330,000 to accounts controlled by Nwadialo and his co-conspirators.

In another case, he's accused of telling a woman he was inventing money for her. She ended up losing at least $270,000, the complaint says.

In August 2020, another person sent Nwadialo at least $310,000 after he claimed he needed financial assistance for his father's funeral and his son's school tuition, the indictment says.

Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.