Two Nigerian-born men have been sentenced to federal prison in the United States for their involvement in a sophisticated fraud network that drained the life savings of elderly Americans.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 40-year-old Olumide Olorunfunmi and 43-year-old Emmanuel Unuigbe were each sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
They were also ordered to jointly repay more than $4.6 million, the amount prosecutors said was stolen from over 125 victims.
Investigators said the duo operated a three-year scam between 2020 and 2023, targeting vulnerable seniors seeking companionship or trying to protect small businesses.
Victims were deceived through romance scams and business email compromise operations that emptied their bank accounts.
The stolen funds were laundered through a complex web of transfers and international channels.
Portions of the proceeds were converted to Nigerian Naira via black-market currency exchanges, prosecutors added.
Both men had previously pleaded guilty. A third accomplice, Samson Amos, received five years of probation, including six months of home confinement, and was also ordered to pay restitution.