A 40-year-old Nigerian, Daniel Chima Inweregbu, has pleaded guilty in the United States to charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, along with money laundering, in a romance scam that defrauded American women of more than $405,000.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana revealed this in a statement on Thursday.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson confirmed that Inweregbu entered the plea on August 21, 2025, before Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown.

Court documents show that between July 2017 and December 2018, Inweregbu and his accomplices carried out the scheme using a fabricated online identity, “Larry Pham,” to deceive victims on dating platforms and social media, specifically targeting U.S. citizens.

According to prosecutors, the group “devised and executed a romance scam designed to obtain money and property from several American women, including four identified victims, through false representations and promises.”

After gaining the trust of their targets, the conspirators persuaded them to transfer funds into U.S.-based bank accounts under their control. The proceeds were then laundered through intermediaries to obscure their source and ownership.

Officials confirmed that Inweregbu’s actions caused actual and attempted losses exceeding $405,000. The laundered funds were moved through financial transactions intended to disguise their origin and beneficiaries.

For the fraud charge, Inweregbu faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. On the money laundering count, he risks an additional 20 years, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $500,000. He is also subject to mandatory assessment fees.

Sentencing has been set for December 4, 2025.

Simpson praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation for leading the inquiry and acknowledged support from the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State.