By Tiffany Williams –
A Nigerian national was sentenced in Boston federal court for stealing more than $2 million from at least six victims in a sprawling romance scam scheme that funneled money into cryptocurrency accounts he controlled.
Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 35, of Abuja, Nigeria, was handed a two-year prison term by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin, followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $2,724,810.41 in restitution and faces deportation after serving his sentence.
Nwadavid pleaded guilty in June 2025 to mail fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering, and money laundering. He was arrested in April 2025 after flying into Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport from the United Kingdom. A Boston federal grand jury indicted him in January 2024.
Authorities said Nwadavid exploited victims through “romance scams,” creating fake online profiles to lure people into trusting him with their money. He then directed the victims to send funds or conduct transactions under false pretenses, often citing urgent needs such as multi-million-dollar inheritances or unexpected medical expenses.
Between 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid targeted victims across the U.S., including one in Massachusetts who was tricked into funneling money from other victims to Nwadavid. Prosecutors said he accessed accounts overseas and transferred the stolen funds into cryptocurrency wallets he controlled on LocalBitcoins, an online trading platform.