A federal jury in New Orleans has convicted Kenneth G. Akpieyi, also known as “Phillip Anderson,” on three charges related to a romance scam that defrauded victims of more than $3 million. The verdict was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson after a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.
According to evidence presented at trial, Akpieyi, 44, of Marietta, Georgia, participated in a scheme targeting women through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Perpetrators posed as romantic partners—often claiming to be generals, philanthropists, or entrepreneurs living outside the United States—to gain victims’ trust before moving conversations to encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp. After establishing online relationships, they requested money from the victims under false pretenses, including claims of charitable work or family emergencies.
Testimony revealed that Akpieyi received funds at his residence under an alias and used his company, KGA Autobrokers, LLC, to transfer money between accounts and obscure its origins. On one occasion, he deposited two checks totaling $300,000 from a single victim into different banks on the same day. Victim funds were sometimes sent overseas to countries including China and the United Arab Emirates.
Eight victims testified during the trial about their experiences and financial losses resulting from the scheme.
Judge Milazzo set sentencing for November 5, 2025. Each count of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss involved; conspiracy to commit money laundering carries up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of property involved.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the FBI New Orleans Field Office for its investigation and thanked both the FBI Atlanta Field Office and Cobb County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. Payne and Lauren Sarver.
“The jury convicted the defendant on all three counts of the superseding indictment: conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and mail fraud related to a years-long romance scam.”
“According to the evidence presented at trial, AKPIEYI played a key role in defrauding women through a scheme where perpetrators represented themselves to victims, mostly women, as romantic partners. They often claimed to be generals, philanthropists, or entrepreneurs who lived outside the United States. Conspirators would meet victims on Facebook, Instagram, and similar social media platforms, gain the trust of the victims, and then ask the victims to move their conversations to WhatsApp or another encrypted platform. Thereafter, the perpetrators would foster a romantic relationship with their victims and then ask the victims to send money for fraudulent reasons, such as to help with charitable work or to assist sick family members”
“Evidence at trial showed that AKPIEYI would then receive victim funds under the alias “Phillip Anderson” at his residence in Marietta, Georgia. AKPIEYI also used his company, KGA Autobrokers, LLC, to funnel money to other bank accounts, often using accounts at different banks to obscure the movement of victim money. On one occasion, AKPIEYI deposited two checks totaling $300,000 from the same victim at two different banks in the Marietta area on the same day, even though both checks were written to KGA Autobrokers. Frequently victim funds ended up in bank accounts in foreign countries such as China and the United Arab Emirates Eight victims testified at trial explaining how they had been defrauded through the scheme They testified to total losses of over $3 million”
“Judge Milazzo scheduled AKPIEYI’s sentencing for November 5 2025 The maximum penalties for each of the counts of mail fraud and for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud are 20 years in prison a $25000000 fine or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee The maximum penalties for conspiracy to commit money laundering are 20 years in prison a $500000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in transactions up three years supervised release after imprisonment and $100 mandatory special assessment fee”
“Acting U.S Attorney Simpson praised work FBI New Orleans Field Office investigating this matter Acting U S Attorney Simpson also extended his thanks FBI Atlanta Field Office Cobb County GA Sheriff’s Office their assistance this investigation Assistant U S Attorney Matthew R Payne Financial Crimes Unit Assistant U S Attorney Lauren Sarver Narcotics Unit handled prosecution”
