An Abuja-based man, Charles Nwadavid, is at risk of 40 years imprisonment in the United States of America and deportation for his alleged role in a $2.5m romance scam.

This was contained in a statement obtained on the US Department of Justice website on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Nwadavid was arrested on Monday upon his arrival to the US via a United Kingdom flight and appeared in court on Tuesday.

The statement noted that the suspect was indicted in January 2024 on charges of mail fraud and money laundering.

The statement read, “A Nigerian national has been charged for his alleged role in allegedly stealing more than $2.5 million from six romance scam victims and transferring their money to cryptocurrency accounts that he controlled.

“Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 34, of Abuja, Nigeria, was arrested on April 7, 2025, after arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

“In January 2024, a federal grand jury in Boston indicted Nwadavid on charges of mail fraud and money laundering. Nwadavid appeared in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 8, 2025, and was detained pending further proceedings. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.”

The statement continued that the suspect had allegedly perpetuated the fraud between 2016 and 2019 and had concealed his role by using it to launder the proceeds of the fraud.