US Court Hands Nigerian-Born Saheed Owolabi 15-Year Prison Term for $1.5M Romance Scam

A U.S. federal judge has sentenced Nigerian-born Saheed Sunday Owolabi to 15 years in prison. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in a $1.5 million scheme. Investigators say Owolabi posed as a woman online to build trust with U.S. victims. He then persuaded them to wire funds into his accounts. The money was moved to Nigeria and mixed with funds from other fraudulent schemes. The U.S. Attorney described Owolabi as a “cheat” and praised the FBI’s effort to dismantle international fraud networks. According to the Department of Justice, the case also involved stealing over $120,000 from a single victim in North Carolina. This conviction underscores the growing number of cross-border fraud cases involving Nigerian nationals. It highlights ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to identify and stop these scams.

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