Adetomiwa Seun Akindele romance scam lands Nigerian national 71 months in U.S. prison for defrauding a Colorado widow of \$1.6m

According to prosecutors, Akindele posed online as an Italian-American businessman named Frank Labato. Between January and October 2018, he convinced his victim to open a cryptocurrency exchange account through which she transferred over $1.6 million.

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To reinforce his fabricated identity, he used emails, phone calls, and stolen photographs. He later claimed to be in a financial crisis, prompting the widow to wire substantial sums. To mask the fraud, Akindele issued three fake “promissory notes”, falsely assuring repayment.

Investigators revealed that the stolen funds were laundered through multiple crypto exchanges before ending up in Akindele’s personal accounts.

Alongside the prison sentence, Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney ordered him to repay the full \$1,692,945 and forfeit an equal amount. He will also be deported to Nigeria after serving his term.

“Romance scammers are relentless and cunning, preying on trust and emotion,” said FBI Denver Special Agent Mark Michalek, praising the case as a successful pursuit of “an egregious scammer.”

U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly added that the punishment not only brought justice but also acted as a deterrent to others seeking to exploit vulnerable victims.

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The FBI Denver Field Office led the investigation, with prosecution managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha A. Paluch.