BISMARCK — Two Maryland men have been sentenced to time in federal prison for their participation in a romance fraud scheme that targeted elderly women including one victim from New Town.

According to a release from U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider, U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor sentenced Chinedu Ikenna Nwafor, 42, Bowie, Maryland, to serve two years and one month, three years of supervised release and a restitution payment of $180,000 after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Codefendant Vitus Uzoma Uzowuru, 56, Glendale, Maryland, was sentenced to 10 months of time served, three years of supervised release and $50,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting mail fraud.

A third individual named Juliet Chinyere Molenda was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of North Dakota with wire fraud for her participation in the romance fraud scheme, and has been scheduled for trial on July 24, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland.

“This sentence shows that romance scammers will face justice in United States District Court when they target the hard-earned savings of North Dakotans,” Schneider said. “It’s also a reminder to be vigilant about protecting yourself and your loved ones against schemes like this one. Fraudsters will be pursued by law enforcement and prosecuted federally for their crimes, but the best course is to prevent fraud before it occurs.”

According to the release, the foreign actors involved in the scheme posed as high-ranking U.S. military members and created fake social media or internet profiles. The participants targeted elderly females by contacting them on social media, and entered into what the victims believed were legitimate romantic relationships. The foreign actors cultivated trust with the victims, and fraudulently induced them to send money to conspirators based in the United States including Nwafor, Uzowuru and Molenda, on pretense that they were helping pay for sudden legal issues or customs disputes.

Nwafor served as a United States-based middleman to the foreign actors by obtaining money from romance fraud victims and then sent a large portion of these funds to the international actors.

According to the release, Nwafor admitted he received a package from a New Town victim that contained a $150,000.00 cashier’s check, which foreign actors fraudulently obtained from the New Town victim as part of a romance fraud scheme by posing as either a “General Joseph Martins” or a “Diplomat David Jones.” Uzowuru also served as a United States-based middleman to both Nwafor and the foreign actors. As noted in court documents, Uzowuru admitted he also received a package from the New Town victim that contained $50,000, which the foreign actors fraudulently obtained from the victim.

“These individuals preyed on the trust and emotions of vulnerable victims, exploiting their desire for connection,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin Winston Sr. “Today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that the FBI will continue to investigate and dismantle these scams, working to safeguard the American people from such exploitation.”