A Nigerian citizen living illegally in Houston has pleaded guilty to participating in a wire fraud conspiracy and running a romance scam that targeted victims across the United States, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Leslie Chinedu Mba, 40, admitted his involvement in both conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to make false statements on immigration documents. The fraudulent activities took place between April 2018 and December 2023. During this period, Mba and his co-conspirators operated business email compromise schemes and romance scams that originated overseas. They gained unauthorized access to business email accounts and redirected payments intended for legitimate businesses into fraudulent bank accounts under their control.
“These online scams that Mba and others perpetrated jeopardized the livelihood of family-run businesses, the ability of elderly individuals to retire, and exploited the trust on which our economy is based,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas remains committed to holding such fraudsters accountable, and protecting our people and companies from financial harm, especially when these scammers remain in our country under false pretenses and deceive immigration authorities.”
Mba also attempted to obtain permanent residency in the United States through multiple fraudulent marriages after his initial application was denied and he was ordered removed from the country.
The total losses from the scheme amounted to $4 million. Four other Houston residents—Grace Morisho, 30; Rodgers Kadikilo, 29; Kristin Smith, 37; and Alexandra Golovko, 35—had previously pleaded guilty to similar charges.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner accepted Mba’s plea and scheduled sentencing for February 26, 2026. Mba faces up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five years for making false statements on immigration documents, as well as a possible fine of up to $250,000. He will remain in custody until sentencing.
The FBI led the investigation with help from the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen M. Lansden and Alexander Alum are prosecuting the case.
