United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced on April 14 that a federal magistrate judge has issued an arrest warrant for Emuobosan Emanuella Hall, age 45, of Atlanta, Georgia, after she failed to report to serve her prison sentence. Hall, a permanent resident from Nigeria, had been sentenced in January to eight years in prison for her role in a romance scam targeting mostly older women.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts by federal authorities to prosecute fraud and protect vulnerable victims. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana enforces federal laws and prosecutes criminal cases as part of its mandate according to the official website.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hall was charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud as well as money laundering in April 2024. She was arrested in Atlanta and released on bond before pleading guilty. Judge Jane Triche Milazzo allowed Hall to remain free until she reported by March 25, but GPS data showed her last known location at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 24 when her monitoring device stopped working. Airline records indicate she did not board her scheduled flight to Minnesota; phone records suggest she may have traveled instead toward Dulles Airport near Washington, D.C.
Hall admitted responsibility for $851,207 in losses through a scheme where conspirators posed as generals or entrepreneurs online and convinced victims via social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram—and later encrypted apps—to send money under false pretenses. Her codefendant Kenneth G. Akpieyi was convicted after trial and sentenced by Judge Milazzo to 25 years; he is currently serving his sentence.
“Our office will vigorously enforce the law, particularly when a defendant fails to report to prison to serve her sentence,” Courcelle said. “Her failure … reflects an utter lack of respect for the law … Our office will continue to prosecute fraud wherever it occurs, especially when criminals exploit vulnerable victims.” If convicted on this new charge of failing to surrender for service of sentence under Title 18 United States Code Sections 3146(a)(2) and (b)(1)(A)(i), Hall faces up to ten additional years in prison consecutive with her current term plus fines up $250,000.
Courcelle praised the FBI New Orleans Field Office’s work investigating this matter while Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne leads prosecution efforts.
The public is encouraged provide tips regarding Hall’s whereabouts by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting www.tips.fbi.gov.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced creation of its National Fraud Enforcement Division dedicated investigating misuse taxpayer funds—a move supporting President Trump’s Task Force chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance aiming eliminate waste within Federal benefit programs according to the official website.
