A Nigerian national, who had taken up residence in Minnesota before his apprehension, has been sentenced to a substantial stint in federal prison for duping a Colorado widow through a romance scam, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, 37, faced justice for his calculated deceit, receiving a punishment of 71 months behind bars and the hefty order to cough up $1,692,945 in restitution. Following his prison term, Akindele is slated for deportation back to Nigeria.
Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, during the span from January to October 2018, concocted a false identity, posing as a prosperous Italian American businessman known as "Frank Labato," initiating his scheme on a dating website. Having met a widowed woman from Colorado, he proceeded with emails in February 2018, escalating to telephone calls filled with fabrications regarding his life and profession, as informed by the aforementioned U.S. Attorney’s Office. This woman, under Akindele's manipulation, opened a cryptocurrency exchange account, leading to her wiring over $1.6 million in a lamentable act of trust that he exploited.
"This sentence both serves justice to the victim and helps prevent this individual from scamming someone else," said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly, as per the U.S. Department of Justice. He further advised the public to stay vigilant when online, especially when requests for money come into the picture. FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek echoed the sentiment, describing romance scammers as "relentless and cunning" in their efforts to leverage emotion and trust.
The con artist's actions were tracked down through determined investigative efforts, detailed by the FBI Denver Field Office, which spearheaded the investigation leading to the sentencing by United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney. The prosecution was managed by Assistant United States Attorney Martha A. Paluch. In the course of Akindele's fraud, promissory notes were used to falsely assure the victim of repayment, adding insult to the financial injury already inflicted, as per details shared by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
