A Nigerian citizen residing illegally in Houston has been sentenced to federal prison for his involvement in a scheme involving romance scams and business email compromise, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Leslie Chinedu Mba, 40, pleaded guilty on December 4, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit false statements in immigration documents. U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced Mba to 228 months in federal prison. After serving his sentence, Mba is expected to face removal proceedings.
The court was informed that the total loss caused by the fraudulent activities exceeded $4 million. The schemes ran from April 2018 through December 2023 and targeted individuals both inside and outside the United States. Co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to business email accounts and redirected payments meant for legitimate businesses into accounts controlled by the group. Mba also acted as a money mule by opening or using bank accounts to collect and transfer proceeds from these crimes.
In addition to financial fraud, Mba attempted to obtain U.S. permanent residency through multiple fraudulent marriages after his initial application was denied and he was ordered removed from the country.
“Romance scams are among the lowest and most despicable form of fraud because they prey upon the lonely and vulnerable, and disproportionately victimize senior citizens,” said Ganjei. “These online scams Mba and his friends perpetrated jeopardized the livelihood of family-run businesses, the ability of elderly individuals to retire, and exploited the trust that fuels our economy. Even worse, Mba and his confederates committed these crimes while attempting to remain in our country under false pretenses by deceiving immigration authorities. Now, Mba has prison to look forward to, followed by a one-way ticket back to Nigeria.”
FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson commented: “Out of all the frauds perpetrated by Leslie Mba and his co-conspirators, their weaponization of romance scams to deliberately target vulnerable and elderly Americans is most disturbing. Romance scams cruelly manipulate trust, callously exploit the fear of loneliness, and leave victims both financially devastated and emotionally shattered. The FBI will continue to combat fraudsters whose schemes leave a wake of misery behind.”
Four others involved in the scheme—Grace Morisho (30), Rodgers Kadikilo (30), Kristin Smith (38), and Alexandra Golovko (36)—previously pleaded guilty. Morisho, Kadikilo, and Smith received sentences ranging from 15 to 25 months; Golovko received five years probation.
Mba will remain in custody until he is transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with help from Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Alum prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas is part of the U.S. Department of Justice and serves under the Attorney General. This office employs more than 200 attorneys who prosecute federal crimes across 43 counties with over nine million residents as described on its official website. It has offices located in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville according to its official site. Notable former leaders include Alamdar Hamdani (2022-2025) and Ryan Patrick as listed on its history page.
