A Nigerian national, Uchenna Nlemchi, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison by the United States judicial system for his involvement in a complex scheme of wire fraud and money laundering. The sentencing also includes a restitution payment of $524,000 and a money judgment amounting to $868,295.
The case traces back to July 2015 when a co-conspirator initiated a romance scam targeting a 56-year-old widow in New Mexico under the alias “Sean Bartlett”. The victim was duped into believing in a fictitious romantic relationship with promises of marriage and was coerced into sending money for purported business ventures.
Nlemchi became involved when he opened a personal bank account and a fraudulent business account under the guise of “Jay Auto & Machine Parts”. The victim, under the influence of the scam, transferred substantial amounts totaling over $375,000 into accounts controlled by Nlemchi. Additionally, funds intended for a real estate transaction were rerouted to Nlemchi’s accounts through fraudulent wire instructions.
Nlemchi swiftly withdrew and transferred over $868,000 globally from the fraudulent accounts before abandoning them in February 2016. Despite being under electronic monitoring, Nlemchi managed to evade authorities and fled first to Mexico, then to Brazil, before returning to Nigeria, where he remained a fugitive for over five years until his arrest in Hungary in 2023.
Following his guilty plea to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in February 2024, Nlemchi has been sentenced to serve 51 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Moreover, deportation proceedings await him upon completion of his prison term.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque Division of the FBI, with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department during the extradition process. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today, marking a significant milestone in combating international financial crimes.
