A Maryland-based Ghanaian woman has been sentenced to 70 months in a United States federal prison for her role in a romance scam that defrauded victims across the country of more than $1.6 million.

Nana Takyiwa Adonu, 43, who resided in Odenton, Maryland, received the sentence on July 22, 2026, in the Southern District of Iowa.

According to court documents, Adonu played an integral role in a conspiracy where criminals created fake profiles on dating sites and social media to exploit victims for financial gain.

To manage the proceeds, Adonu operated "Han-Dak LLC," a shell company that received funds from duped victims. Many of the victims were persuaded to send their life savings, believing they were supporting a romantic partner.

The scale of the devastation was significant, as victims drained retirement accounts, sold homes and vehicles, returned to work after retirement, and borrowed heavily from friends and family. The Iowa victim alone lost more than $55,000.Local news alerts

When confronted by the FBI, Adonu attempted to cover her tracks. She falsely claimed Han-Dak LLC was a legitimate garment production company in China and later produced fake invoices and customer lists in response to a federal grand jury subpoena to obstruct the investigation.

In addition to the prison term, Adonu was ordered to pay $1,655,640.76 in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release after completing her sentence. Her co-defendant, Naabanyin Aniagyei-Cobbold, was sentenced earlier in March 2026 to 108 months in prison and ordered to pay over $1.5 million in restitution.Courts & Judiciary

"Romance scammers exploit victims when they are at their most vulnerable," said Eugene Kowel, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Omaha Field Office, in a statement.

"They prey on innocent people by convincing them a relationship is real, then slowly abuse that trust to steal their life savings. This case is an egregious example of the ruthless persistence exhibited by scammers who enrich themselves at the expense of vulnerable people".