A Nigerian, Charles Emesim, has been sentenced to nine years and seven months in prison by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky for laundering more than $700,000 obtained through internet and telephone-enabled scams, including romance, inheritance, lottery, government impersonation, and investment fraud. 

The court described Mr Emesim’s conduct as “heartless and unquestionably reprehensible,” noting the financial and psychological harm to the victims.

Judge Robert Wier handed down the sentence on Wednesday.

Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.

Mr Emesim, a 53-year-old resident of Newark, New Jersey, defrauded at least 23 victims across the United States in a decade-long scheme.

He operated 17 bank accounts—some in his name and others under his companies, Chadon Export and Chadon Trucking—between December 9, 2013 and June 28, 2024. 

The court said one of Mr Emesim’s victims was a widow living in Kentucky whom he allegedly deceived into believing she was in a romantic relationship with a man identified as “Michael Oliver,” who promised to transfer his wealth to her.

The victim, a senior citizen, was later connected by “Oliver” to a supposed customs agent to facilitate the transfer of funds and frequently communicated on WhatsApp with “Customs Agent Samuel Rock.”

Investigators found that Mr Emesim impersonated “Customs Agent Samuel Rock,” whom the victim later met in person at an airport in Lexington, Kentucky. During the meeting, the victim purchased a tablet computer for him and handed over additional money.

Tens of thousands of dollars were lost to the scam through cash transfers, cashier cheques and gift cards to Mr Emesim, who withdrew the cash and transferred it to other bank accounts belonging to relatives in Nigeria.

“Romance scams and financial fraud schemes are predatory crimes because they target victims through deception, emotional manipulation, and calculated exploitation,” Mr Parman said.

“This defendant spent years helping funnel stolen money from hardworking Americans, including an elderly victim in Eastern Kentucky who was manipulated into believing she was building a genuine relationship. These criminals do not see victims as people; they see them as targets.”

Mr Parman added that the district and the FBI would continue to aggressively prosecute fraudsters.

“For more than a decade, Mr Emesim preyed upon trusting men and women, stealing their hard-earned money to line his own pockets,” Ms Olson said.

Under federal law, Mr Emesim must serve 85 per cent of his sentence and will be under investigation by the U.S. Probation Office for three years after his release.

The FBI conducted the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

In a separate case on Wednesday, celebrated Nigerian scholar Nkechy Ezeh was sentenced to 70 months in U.S. prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme that stole $1.4 million in taxpayer and donor funds intended for vulnerable preschool children.