Leslie Chinedu Mba, 40, a Nigerian citizen who had been living in Houston unlawfully, is headed to federal prison for 228 months after admitting his role in business email compromise and romance scams that prosecutors say stole more than $4 million. He also admitted trying to obtain permanent U.S. residency through multiple fraudulent marriages after an earlier removal order. U.S. District Judge David Hittner imposed the sentence Thursday and ordered Mba to remain in custody until he is transferred to a Bureau of Prisons facility.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas, prosecutors say Mba carried out the scheme from April 2018 through December 2023, using compromised business emails and feigned romantic relationships to redirect payments into accounts controlled by him and co conspirators. Officials said victims believed they were sending money to legitimate vendors or partners but instead had funds siphoned to fraudulent accounts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also shared the announcement in a post on X.
Nigerian citizen who attempted to unlawfully obtain U.S. residency through fraudulent marriages sentenced in $4 million conspiracy#houstonhttps://t.co/nRVM70vtMs pic.twitter.com/MMMC21sW7p
— US Attorney SDTX (@USAO_SDTX) February 26, 2026
Prosecutors' account and victims
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei called the schemes "among the lowest and most despicable form of fraud" and said they jeopardized family run businesses and vulnerable citizens, while FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson said romance scams "cruelly manipulate trust," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas. Prosecutors say Mba acted as a money mule, opening or using bank accounts to collect and transfer proceeds from the fraud. Court filings and the plea also acknowledged that Mba used sham marriages to try to remain in the country after an immigration denial.
Co-conspirators and prior pleas
Four other Houston residents, Grace Morisho, Rodgers Kadikilo, Kristin Smith and Alexandra Golovko, earlier pleaded guilty in related cases; Morisho, Kadikilo and Smith received sentences ranging from roughly 15 to 25 months while Golovko received five years of probation, local reporting shows. Those guilty pleas resolved earlier phases of the investigation and left prosecutors to pursue the final defendant. For background on the earlier guilty pleas see Houston Resident Pleads Guilty.
How these scams work
Prosecutors say the group combined business email compromise (BEC) tactics, hijacking or spoofing legitimate emails to change payment instructions, with romance fraud techniques that groom victims emotionally before requesting money. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has repeatedly warned that BEC is among the most financially damaging online crimes, and the Federal Trade Commission notes romance scams often target older adults and can produce large, long term losses. Authorities urge people to verify payment requests, avoid wiring money to unknown parties and report suspected fraud to law enforcement; see guidance from the IC3 and the Federal Trade Commission.
What's next
Mba pleaded guilty Dec. 4, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to making false statements in immigration documents, and faced statutory penalties tied to those counts, local reporting and court records show. He will remain in custody until transfer to a federal prison, and as a noncitizen is expected to face removal proceedings after completing his sentence. The FBI and Houston Police Department said the investigation underscores ongoing efforts to disrupt transnational fraud networks that prey on trust and the elderly.
