A Nigerian national, Abdulwaris Akinsanya, who was previously convicted in a federal romance scam, has been re-arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on new fraud and forgery allegations.
Joshua Johnson, acting field officer of ICE’s Dallas Field Office, confirmed on July 17 that Akinsanya, 28, was apprehended by ICE’s Dallas enforcement and removal operations unit after attempting to flee in a vehicle.
Akinsanya was sentenced on March 6, 2024, to 18 months in federal prison for his role in a romance scam scheme. He pleaded guilty in October 2023 to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Investigations revealed he had opened fraudulent bank accounts to funnel money from scam victims.
Johnson added, “He has convictions for forgery with conspiracy to defraud the United States and fleeing via vehicle in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in May 2020, Akinsanya used a forged passport and false identity to open an account at City National Bank (CNB). One fraudulent scheme involved co-conspirators posing as a fictitious individual to deceive a victim in Alabama into sending $2,650 via money order. Akinsanya deposited the funds into the illicit account and kept a portion.
At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton highlighted the scheme’s sophistication and severity. Akinsanya received an 18-month prison sentence, was ordered to pay $2,650 in restitution, and placed on three years of supervised release.
The case originated from an FBI investigation by the Oklahoma City Field Office.
In a related case, Abiola Quadri, another Nigerian national residing in the San Gabriel Valley, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for defrauding California and Nevada of $1.3 million through COVID-19 unemployment and disability insurance scams.
