Darlington Akporugo, a Nigerian socialite, is facing up to 25 years behind bars after admitting to orchestrating a multimillion-dollar romance scam that targeted elderly victims across Houston and other parts of the United States.
The 47-year-old was just hours away from marrying his fiancée, Jasmin Sood, in early 2024 when U.S. law enforcement agents arrested him in a dramatic operation. His capture followed a lengthy investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into a Houston-based criminal syndicate specializing in romance fraud—an operation Akporugo confessed to leading.
According to ICE, Akporugo, who was living in the U.S. illegally, pleaded guilty before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, as well as aiding and abetting wire fraud. Authorities revealed that his scheme defrauded more than 25 victims—many of them retirees and widows—out of millions of dollars.
“This individual and his co-conspirators preyed on vulnerable elderly victims, robbing them of their hard-earned life savings,” said Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge at ICE Homeland Security Investigations. He praised the courage of those who reported the fraud and credited international and domestic law enforcement cooperation for dismantling the syndicate.
As part of his guilty plea, Akporugo admitted to creating fake identities on social media, particularly Facebook, to deceive unsuspecting individuals. His victims were manipulated into transferring money for fraudulent investments or fabricated personal emergencies. The funds were then funneled through various bank accounts under his control before being sent overseas.
Akporugo remains in custody as he awaits sentencing on June 6. Upon serving his prison term, he is expected to be deported from the United States.
