A 41-year-old Nigerian living in Douglasville, Georgia, Babajide Adesayo, has been convicted by a federal jury in the United States for his involvement in laundering more than $2.7 million obtained through romance scams and other online fraud schemes.
The United States Department of Justice said Adesayo was convicted on August 6, 2026, after an eight-day trial. He was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 16 counts of transactional money laundering.
According to the US Department of Justice, the offences took place between April 2020 and September 2021. During that period, fraudsters allegedly targeted elderly victims online by pretending to be friends, business associates or romantic partners.
The victims were reportedly persuaded to send money after the fraudsters claimed they needed financial assistance for reasons including purchasing business equipment, medical treatment, injuries or securing their release from prison.
Prosecutors said hundreds of thousands of dollars, including victims’ retirement savings and other hard-earned income, were transferred into business accounts belonging to Adesayo’s co-defendant, Nigerian national Efemena Igbe.
After receiving the money, Igbe allegedly transferred most of it to Adesayo and attempted to disguise the transactions by falsely describing the payments as money for the purchase of vehicles from Adesayo’s automotive business.
Adesayo allegedly moved most of the money he received to accounts in China, Hong Kong, Nigeria and other countries. The Department of Justice said he received and transferred more than $2.7 million in victim funds over a 17-month period.
Prosecutors further alleged that Adesayo continued laundering money even after his arrest in June 2024 while awaiting trial. Some victims reportedly transferred money directly into his business accounts, while others sent funds through third-party accounts before the money was eventually transferred to him.
The authorities said Adesayo would quickly withdraw or transfer the money after receiving it. His bond was subsequently revoked after his alleged post-arrest conduct came to light.
Adesayo has remained in federal custody since March 2, 2026.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2026, before United States District Judge Mark H. Cohen.
According to the US Department of Justice, Adesayo faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the conspiracy counts and up to 10 years for each transactional money-laundering count. He could also receive an additional consecutive sentence of up to 10 years for allegedly committing offences while on release.
The actual sentence will be determined by the court after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges but are not binding.
The case comes shortly after another Nigerian, Adedayo Fateru, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for his involvement in a money-laundering operation involving about $1.7 million in proceeds from various fraud schemes in the United States. His sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
