43-year-old Maryland woman and Ghanaian national, Nana Takyiwa Adonu, has been sentenced to 6 years in federal prison for money laundering tied to her role in a nationwide romance scam.

The sentencing took place on July 22, 2026.

According to court documents, Adonu operated Han‑Dak LLC, a company she used to funnel money from victims of the scam.

She received more than $1.6 million, including over $55,000 from a victim in Iowa.

Victims were deceived into sending funds under the belief they were supporting romantic partners, often draining retirement accounts, selling property, or borrowing heavily from family and friends.

When confronted by the FBI, Adonu falsely claimed Han‑Dak LLC was a garment production company.

She later produced fabricated invoices, customer lists, and vendor records in an attempt to obstruct the investigation.

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In addition to her 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 in March 2026 to 108 months in prison, restitution of $1.55 million, and three years of supervised release.

The FBI described romance scams as a growing threat, noting that in 2024, nearly 59,000 victims lost more than $672 million.

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

He added that; “They prey on innocent people by convincing them a relationship is real, then slowly abuse that trust to steal their life savings. Some victims lost their entire retirement accounts. This case is an egregious example of the ruthless persistence exhibited by scammers who enrich themselves at the expense of vulnerable people. The FBI will continue using every tool at our disposal to apprehend these criminals and bring them to justice.”

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Omaha Cyber Task Force and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Lubben.

The FBI urged anyone targeted by romance scams to stop all contact immediately, report transfers to their financial institution, and file a complaint with law enforcement.

SA

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