Nigerian socialite Darlington Akporugo is facing up to 25 years in prison after confessing to his role in a multimillion-dollar romance scam that targeted dozens of victims, primarily elderly individuals, across Houston and other parts of the United States.
The 47-year-old was set to marry his fiancée, Jasmin Sood, in early 2024 when U.S. law enforcement swooped in and arrested him just hours before the ceremony. His arrest followed an extensive investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into a Houston-based syndicate specializing in romance fraud—a scheme Akporugo admitted to leading.
According to ICE, Akporugo, who is in the U.S. illegally, pleaded guilty before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, as well as aiding and abetting wire fraud. His scheme defrauded over 25 victims, many of whom were retirees or widows, out of millions of dollars.
“This individual and his co-conspirators preyed on the vulnerability of the elderly and recently widowed, robbing them of their hard-earned life savings,” said Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge at ICE Homeland Security Investigations. He credited the victims who came forward and the cooperation between domestic and international law enforcement for helping to dismantle the fr@ud ring.
As part of his plea, Akporugo admitted that he and his accomplices created fake identities on social media platforms, primarily Facebook, to lure unsuspecting individuals into fraudulent investments or fabricated personal emergencies. Victims were manipulated into transferring money to bank accounts controlled by Akporugo and his associates, after which the funds were funneled to overseas accounts.
He remains in custody ahead of his sentencing scheduled for June 6. Upon completion of his prison term, he is likely to be deported from the United States.
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