A United States District Court has handed down significant prison sentences to two Nigerian men and a Sudanese woman for their roles in a sophisticated romance scam that targeted elderly Americans, a scheme that tragically led to the suicide of a 74-year-old retired teacher.
The Sentences and the Scheme
On December 2, 2025, Judge Clifton L. Corker in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville delivered the sentences. Stephen O. Anagor, 37, from Lakewood, Washington, received the longest term of 108 months (9 years) in prison. His co-conspirator, Chinagorom Onwumere, 36, of Piscataway, New Jersey, was sentenced to 84 months (7 years). Salma Abdalkareem, 29, also from Piscataway and Onwumere's wife, was sentenced to 51 months (over 4 years).
Following their imprisonment, Onwumere and Anagor will be under supervised release for five years, while Abdalkareem will have three years of supervision. The court also ordered all three to jointly repay their victims $388,500 in restitution.
A Deadly Deception
The conspiracy, which targeted multiple victims across the United States, was particularly devastating for one man from Jonesborough, Tennessee. The elderly victim was manipulated into believing he was in a romantic online relationship with a famous celebrity.
The scam escalated when members of the group, posing as high-ranking officials like the former Director of the FBI and the former Attorney General of the United States, contacted him. They falsely claimed the celebrity's management had filed a sexual harassment complaint against him and that he was under investigation.
Through a series of threatening emails, the fraudsters, including Onwumere and Abdalkareem, coerced the man into paying exorbitant fees to make the fake investigation disappear. The victim sent five checks totaling $86,900—his entire life savings, plus proceeds from a loan on his truck.
Even after receiving his savings, the criminals demanded more money for alleged medical bills, claiming the stress he caused had hospitalized the actress. In his final text messages, the destitute victim stated he had no more money and was going to end his life. He died by suicide on October 23, 2023.
How the International Fraud Operated
Court documents reveal that Anagor and Onwumere, both Nigerian nationals, met during military training in South Carolina in June 2023. Anagor then recruited Onwumere and Abdalkareem (a Sudanese citizen) to assist a relative based in Nigeria.
The scheme operated with members in Nigeria impersonating celebrities to establish fake romantic relationships with victims, typically elderly adults found online. The US-based members acted as money mules. Once a victim was convinced, the conspirators invented reasons for financial need, such as:
- Taxes on luxury vehicles.
- Background check fees for employment.
- Exclusive membership access fees.
- Fines to halt law enforcement investigations.
Victims were directed to send funds via checks or gift cards to the US-based defendants, who would deposit them, keep a share, and wire the remainder to co-conspirators in Nigeria or elsewhere in the US.
The investigation was a collaborative effort led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener III.
