US court convicts Nigerian over $2.7m romance scam money laundering

A 41-year-old Nigerian, Babajide Adesayo, has been convicted by a federal jury in the United States for laundering more than $2.7 million allegedly obtained from victims of romance fraud and other online scams.

The United States Department of Justice disclosed this in a statement published on its website on Wednesday, saying Adesayo was found guilty on August 6, 2026, after an eight-day trial.

Adesayo, who resides in Douglasville, Georgia, was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 16 counts of transactional money laundering.

According to the US Department of Justice, the offences were committed between April 2020 and September 2021 as fraudsters allegedly targeted elderly victims through online relationships.

The victims were reportedly deceived by individuals posing as friends, business associates or romantic partners before being asked to provide money for fabricated reasons, including business equipment, medical expenses, injuries and alleged imprisonment.

Court evidence showed that victims were directed to send substantial amounts of money, including retirement savings and other personal income, to business accounts linked to Adesayo’s co-defendant, Efemena Igbe, also a Nigerian national.

The Department of Justice said Igbe allegedly transferred most of the funds to back the payments as money for the purchase of vehicles from Adesayo’s automobile business.

Investigators said Adesayo subsequently transferred much of the money to overseas accounts in China, Hong Kong, Nigeria and other countries.

Over a period of 17 months, he allegedly received and moved more than $2.7 million belonging to victims of the fraud scheme.

The prosecution further alleged that Adesayo continued laundering money after his arrest in June 2024 while awaiting trial.

According to the US authorities, some victims sent money directly to accounts associated with Adesayo’s businesses, while others transferred funds to third-party accounts before the money was eventually routed to him.

The Department of Justice said Adesayo typically withdrew or transferred the funds shortly after receiving them.

His bond was subsequently revoked after authorities uncovered the alleged post-arrest activities, and he has remained in federal custody since March 2, 2026.

Adesayo is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2026, before United States District Judge Mark H. Cohen.

The US Department of Justice said he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for each of the two conspiracy convictions and up to 10 years for each transactional money-laundering conviction.

He could also receive an additional consecutive sentence of up to 10 years for allegedly committing offences while on release.

The department noted, however, that the final sentence would be determined by the court after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges but are not binding on the judge.