Two Nigerians, Chinagorom Onwumere and Stephen Anagor, have been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for their roles in a romance scam and wire fraud scheme that led to the death of an elderly American citizen.

Judge Clifton L. Corker of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville handed down the sentences to the pair and their associate, Salma Abdalkareem, a 29-year-old Sudanese national, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.

Mr Onwumere, 36, received a four-and-a-half-year prison term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aiding and abetting aggravated stalking resulting in death, and aiding and abetting money laundering.

According to court filings, Messrs Anagor and Onwumere—both Nigerians—met during military training in South Carolina in June 2023 (PUNCH)