Nigerian National Sentenced to 17 Months in Prison for Laundering Millions from Online Romance Scams in US

A Phoenix-based Nigerian citizen, Kingsley Ibhadore, has been sentenced in the United State District Court for the District of Arizona to 17 months in federal prison for his role in laundering millions of dollars from victims of online romance scams.

Ibhadore, a U.S. resident pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in May 2024 and was sentenced on Monday, May 5, 2025.

Federal investigators say Ibhadore played a key role in a scheme that defrauded victims of nearly $3 million between 2018 and 2019.

According to the U.S. Secret Service, Ibhadore used multiple aliases and fake passports to open 24 bank accounts at institutions including Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, and BBVA Compass.

 

Using names such as Barry Bhoye, Celestin Cheick, Simone Diakite, and Celestin Emmanuel, Ibhadore deposited checks from scam victims—some as large as $100,000. He then withdrew funds or transferred the money to accounts in Turkey and Nigeria

 

“This was a significant financial operation,” said Scott Windish, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service in Phoenix, during the initial investigation in 2023. Authorities believe Ibhadore was part of a broader criminal network.

 

Ibhadore was initially indicted in 2023 following a FOX 10 investigation into the fraudulent activities.

His sentence marks a significant outcome in the ongoing effort to crack down on international romance scams and financial fraud.

Related Posts

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has described reports that more than 17 million Nigerians, including infants and young children, are facing acute hunger as a growing humanitarian disaster created by the President Bola Tinubu administration’s incompetence, misplaced priorities and failed policies. ADC’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi said Nigerians are dying of starvation under his administration. He was reacting to a United Nations World Food Programme, WFP, report showing that more than 17 million Nigerians across nine conflict-affected northern states are facing acute hunger. A statement signed by Abdullahi, condemned the Tinubu-led APC Federal Government for what it described as its “cruel indifference” to the growing humanitarian crisis brought about principally by its failure to contain the banditry and terrorism that has displaced farming communities, as well as the harsh economic policies that have pushed food beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians. The full statement read: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has received with profound concern the latest assessment by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which confirms that Nigeria is now facing one of its worst food security emergencies in almost a decade.” “According to the WFP, more than 17 million Nigerians across nine conflict-affected northern states are now facing Crisis, Emergency or Catastrophic levels of food insecurity.” “This represents an increase of almost two million people from previous projections. In Borno State alone, more than three million people are acutely food insecure, while the combined figure for Borno, Adamawa and Yobe has risen to 6.2 million people. “These are not opposition figures. They are not campaign slogans. They are the findings of the world’s leading humanitarian agency on hunger. “In other words, the hunger confronting millions of Nigerians today is not a natural disaster. It is an APC-inspired government-created humanitarian disaster. “This humanitarian crisis is also the predictable outcome of a government that has failed to secure Nigerian lives, failed to protect Nigerian farmers and failed to address the cost-of-living crisis that it has created. “For three years, the Tinubu government has repeatedly told Nigerians that the pain that we experiencing is temporary. The WFP has now confirmed what Nigerians have been saying all along: insecurity is spreading, agricultural production is declining, food inflation is worsening and millions of us, the Nigerian people, are being pushed deeper into hunger.”

    The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has described reports that more than 17 million Nigerians, including infants and young children, are facing acute hunger as a growing humanitarian disaster…

Over 1.6 Million Nigerians Benefit from NELFUND, Reps Reveal

The House of Representatives has disclosed that more than 1.6 million Nigerians have benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), describing the student loan scheme as one of the…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You Missed

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has described reports that more than 17 million Nigerians, including infants and young children, are facing acute hunger as a growing humanitarian disaster created by the President Bola Tinubu administration’s incompetence, misplaced priorities and failed policies. ADC’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi said Nigerians are dying of starvation under his administration. He was reacting to a United Nations World Food Programme, WFP, report showing that more than 17 million Nigerians across nine conflict-affected northern states are facing acute hunger. A statement signed by Abdullahi, condemned the Tinubu-led APC Federal Government for what it described as its “cruel indifference” to the growing humanitarian crisis brought about principally by its failure to contain the banditry and terrorism that has displaced farming communities, as well as the harsh economic policies that have pushed food beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians. The full statement read: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has received with profound concern the latest assessment by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which confirms that Nigeria is now facing one of its worst food security emergencies in almost a decade.” “According to the WFP, more than 17 million Nigerians across nine conflict-affected northern states are now facing Crisis, Emergency or Catastrophic levels of food insecurity.” “This represents an increase of almost two million people from previous projections. In Borno State alone, more than three million people are acutely food insecure, while the combined figure for Borno, Adamawa and Yobe has risen to 6.2 million people. “These are not opposition figures. They are not campaign slogans. They are the findings of the world’s leading humanitarian agency on hunger. “In other words, the hunger confronting millions of Nigerians today is not a natural disaster. It is an APC-inspired government-created humanitarian disaster. “This humanitarian crisis is also the predictable outcome of a government that has failed to secure Nigerian lives, failed to protect Nigerian farmers and failed to address the cost-of-living crisis that it has created. “For three years, the Tinubu government has repeatedly told Nigerians that the pain that we experiencing is temporary. The WFP has now confirmed what Nigerians have been saying all along: insecurity is spreading, agricultural production is declining, food inflation is worsening and millions of us, the Nigerian people, are being pushed deeper into hunger.”

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has described reports that more than 17 million Nigerians, including infants and young children, are facing acute hunger as a growing humanitarian disaster created by the President Bola Tinubu administration’s incompetence, misplaced priorities and failed policies.   ADC’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi said Nigerians are dying of starvation under his administration.  He was reacting to a United Nations World Food Programme, WFP, report showing that more than 17 million Nigerians across nine conflict-affected northern states are facing acute hunger.   A statement signed by Abdullahi, condemned the Tinubu-led APC Federal Government for what it described as its “cruel indifference” to the growing humanitarian crisis brought about principally by its failure to contain the banditry and terrorism that has displaced farming communities, as well as the harsh economic policies that have pushed food beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians.  The full statement read: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has received with profound concern the latest assessment by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which confirms that Nigeria is now facing one of its worst food security emergencies in almost a decade.”   “According to the WFP, more than 17 million Nigerians across nine conflict-affected northern states are now facing Crisis, Emergency or Catastrophic levels of food insecurity.”  “This represents an increase of almost two million people from previous projections. In Borno State alone, more than three million people are acutely food insecure, while the combined figure for Borno, Adamawa and Yobe has risen to 6.2 million people.  “These are not opposition figures. They are not campaign slogans. They are the findings of the world’s leading humanitarian agency on hunger.  “In other words, the hunger confronting millions of Nigerians today is not a natural disaster. It is an APC-inspired government-created humanitarian disaster.  “This humanitarian crisis is also the predictable outcome of a government that has failed to secure Nigerian lives, failed to protect Nigerian farmers and failed to address the cost-of-living crisis that it has created.  “For three years, the Tinubu government has repeatedly told Nigerians that the pain that we experiencing is temporary. The WFP has now confirmed what Nigerians have been saying all along: insecurity is spreading, agricultural production is declining, food inflation is worsening and millions of us, the Nigerian people, are being pushed deeper into hunger.”

Over 1.6 Million Nigerians Benefit from NELFUND, Reps Reveal

Over 1.6 Million Nigerians Benefit from NELFUND, Reps Reveal

Davido Explains Why He Highlighted Nigeria’s Kidnapping Crisis at FIFA World Cup

Davido Explains Why He Highlighted Nigeria’s Kidnapping Crisis at FIFA World Cup

Peller Reportedly Held by Police Since Friday, Says Tunde Perry

Peller Reportedly Held by Police Since Friday, Says Tunde Perry

From Banking to Government: How Alex Otti Is Redefining Leadership in Abia

From Banking to Government: How Alex Otti Is Redefining Leadership in Abia

2027: Amaechi Pays Courtesy Visit to Dino Melaye

2027: Amaechi Pays Courtesy Visit to Dino Melaye