A Nigerian man, Uchenna Nlemchi, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison for his role in a romance scam and business email compromise scheme that defrauded a widow in New Mexico of over $868,000. Nlemchi was extradited from Hungary to the United States last year and was ordered to pay $524,000 in restitution and a money judgment of $868,295.
According to court documents, the scheme began in 2015, with a co-conspirator posing as “Sean Bartlett” and convincing the widow to send money for supposed business expenses. Nlemchi’s role was to receive and launder the funds, which he did through various bank accounts and wire transfers.
The scheme was uncovered by the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, and Nlemchi was arrested and extradited to the US to face trial. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced the sentencing in a statement, noting that there is no parole in the federal system. This sentence serves as a warning to those engaging in such fraudulent activities that they will be brought to justice.
