2 Nigerian Nationals Sentenced In MN In Online Romance Conspiracy

ST. PAUL, MN — Two Nigerian nationals were sentenced to prison and probation, and owe over $500,000 in restitution for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims in romance fraud schemes, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced Monday.

Charles Emeka Obije, 41, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit international money laundering. He was sentenced on Sept. 13 to 14 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and he must pay $356,671.00 in restitution.

Obije's sister-in-law and co-conspirator — Ijeoma Miriam Chanthavong, 36 — previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit international money laundering. She was sentenced on April 19 to three years of probation and must pay $148,500.00 in restitution.

From 2016 through 2019, Obije used fake identities to contact victims in Minnesota and across the U.S. via email, social media, and online dating applications, authorities said.

Obije’s sister-in-law and co-conspirator, Ijeoma Miriam Chanthavong, 36, helped launder the financial proceeds of these schemes, according to investigators.

Together, the two conspired to transfer the proceeds of the online romance fraud scams to bank accounts under their control in Nigeria and defrauded around $800,000 from victims, authorities said.