A Nigerian, Daniel Chima Inweregbu, 40, risks up to 20 years in a United States prison after pleading guilty to charges connected with a romance scam valued at over $405,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney, Michael M. Simpson, disclosed this in a statement issued by Shane M. Jones, Public Information Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana, on Thursday.
According to the statement, Inweregbu entered the plea on August 21, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and using an assumed name to commit mail fraud, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Prosecutors said his conviction stemmed from his role in a long-running romance scam that targeted several American women.
Between July 2017 and December 2018, Inweregbu and his accomplices created fake profiles on social media and dating sites using the alias “Larry Pham,” which they used to lure middle-aged women seeking companionship.
Once contact was established, the conspirators built online relationships with the victims before requesting money under various false pretences.
“Inweregbu’s scheme resulted in actual and intended losses of over $405,000,” the statement read, adding that the group laundered the funds through multiple financial transactions designed to conceal the source and ownership of the proceeds.
The court heard that Inweregbu and his co-conspirators opened and managed several domestic bank accounts through which victims’ funds were channelled.
For Count 1, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. For Count 12, he faces up to 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. He is also liable to pay a $100 mandatory assessment fee for each count.
Sentencing has been fixed for December 4, 2025, before Judge Brown.
