A Nigerian man, Leslie Mba, has been sentenced to 19 years imprisonment in the United States for his role in a romance scam and business email scheme that defrauded American women of over $4 million, according to the US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas. Mba, 40, a resident of Houston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit false statements in immigration documents on December 4, 2025.

US District Judge David Hittner ordered Mba to serve 228 months in federal prison, followed by deportation to Nigeria after his imprisonment. The scam involved Mba and his accomplices gaining unauthorized access to business email accounts and redirecting payments to fraudulent bank accounts, exploiting the trust of unsuspecting victims.

The US Attorney for the District of Houston, Nicholas Ganjei, condemned the scam, saying it “cruelly manipulates trust, callously exploits the fear of loneliness, and leaves victims both financially devastated and emotionally shattered”.