A United States court has sentenced 40-year-old Leslie Mba to prison over fraud.
Mba waa jailed nine years in prison for orchestrating multimillion-dollar fraud schemes and attempting to secure permanent residency through sham marriages, bringing an end to a lengthy criminal prosecution.
The judgment also directs that him to be deported to Nigeria after completion of his custodial term, following convictions linked to financial crimes and false immigration filings.
The Prosecutors said that the offences caused losses exceeding $4 million and affected individuals and small businesses who were misled into transferring funds under false pretences through online deception and account manipulation.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) disclosed in a statement that Mba was sentenced yesterday after pleading guilty on December 4, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy.
According to the department,Mba and other accounts other accomplices, between April 2018 and December 2023, executed business email compromise and romance scams, initially breaching corporate email systems before diverting payments into accounts under their control.
“Victims believed they were sending money to legitimate businesses, but Mba and others instead funnelled the funds to accounts they controlled,” stated the DOJ.
“Mba and others acted as money mules, opening or using existing bank accounts to collect and move proceeds from the fraud. The scheme resulted in a total loss of $4 million. Additionally, Mba tried to obtain U.S. permanent residency through multiple fraudulent marriages after his initial application was denied and he was ordered to be removed from the country,* it added.
The U.S. attorney, Nicholas Ganjei, said: “Romance scams are among the lowest and most despicable forms of fraud because they prey upon the lonely and vulnerable, and disproportionately victimise senior citizens.
“These online scams Mba and his friends perpetrated jeopardised the livelihood of family-run businesses, the ability of elderly individuals to retire, and exploited the trust that fuels our economy.”
Ganjej added: “Even worse, Mba and his confederates committed these crimes while attempting to remain in our country under false pretences by deceiving immigration authorities. Now, Mba has prison to look forward to, followed by a one-way ticket back to Nigeria.”
