A United States-based Nigerian, Adetomiwa Akindele, has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for a $1.6 million romance scam and will be deported to Nigeria after serving his time.

The 37-year-old was ordered to pay $1,692,945 in restitution and a matching forfeiture judgment.

Akindele posed as a wealthy Italian American businessman, “Frank Labato,” on a dating website, where he met a widowed Colorado woman.

Between January and October 2018, Akindele convinced the victim to wire over $1.6 million through a cryptocurrency exchange account, claiming he needed funds due to a financial crisis related to his purported work abroad.

He laundered the money across multiple crypto exchanges and deposited it into his bank accounts. Despite issuing three fraudulent promissory notes, Akindele failed to repay the victim.

“This sentence both serves justice to the victim and helps prevent this individual from scamming someone else,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “This case should be a reminder to the public to be cautious when engaging with people they meet online – especially when those people are asking for money.”

FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek emphasized the cunning nature of romance scammers, stating, “Romance scammers are relentless and cunning, preying on trust and emotion to exploit victims.”

Akindele’s sentence was presided over by United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney, who also ordered him to repay the full amount stolen.