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The FBI has declared 46-year-old Nigerian-born Emuobosan Emmanuella Hall wanted after she failed to report to a federal prison in the United States to begin serving an eight-year sentence for her role in a multimillion-dollar romance scam.
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A federal grand jury in New Orleans indicted Hall on October 23, 2026, for failing to surrender to the US Bureau of Prisons after she was ordered to report by March 25, 2026.
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Hall, who admitted responsibility for $851,207 in victims’ losses, allegedly disappeared after her GPS monitoring device stopped transmitting at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on March 24.
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The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to her arrest, while she faces an additional 10-year prison term if convicted of the new charge.
October 30, (THEWILL) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a manhunt for a 46-year-old Nigerian-born woman, Emuobosan Emmanuella Hall, who has been indicted in the United States for failing to surrender to federal prison authorities to begin serving an eight-year jail sentence for her involvement in a multimillion-dollar romance fraud scheme.
Hall, a Nigerian citizen and permanent resident of the United States who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, was indicted by a federal grand jury in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 23, 2026, for failing to report to the Bureau of Prisons as ordered by a federal judge.
The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, David I. Courcelle, announced the indictment, stating that Hall was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment by US District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo in January 2026.
The judge had allowed her to remain on bond pending the commencement of her sentence and directed her to report to her designated federal correctional institution by March 25, 2026.
However, Hall failed to comply with the order and has remained at large. A warrant has subsequently been issued for her arrest.
According to the criminal complaint, GPS monitoring records showed that Hall’s last known location was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 24, 2026, a day before she was expected to surrender to prison authorities.
The FBI in a public notice, disclosed that her monitoring device stopped operating at the airport.
Hall had earlier supplied her probation officer with flight details indicating that she would travel to Minnesota, where she had been designated to serve her sentence. However, airline records showed that she did not board the flight.
FBI Offers $5,000 Reward
The FBI has placed Hall on its wanted list and announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to her arrest.
The agency urged anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact the FBI through its telephone line, 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submit information through its official tip portal at tips.fbi.gov.
The indictment followed Hall’s conviction in a romance fraud conspiracy that targeted mostly elderly women in different parts of the United States.
She was initially indicted in April 2024 alongside her co-defendant, Kenneth G. Akpieyi, of Marietta, Georgia, on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Hall was arrested in Atlanta and granted bond before subsequently pleading guilty to her role in the scheme.
Court documents and evidence presented during Akpieyi’s trial showed that members of the conspiracy posed as wealthy generals, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs living outside the United States to deceive their victims.
The fraudsters reportedly established contact with women through social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, before persuading them to move their conversations to WhatsApp and other encrypted messaging platforms.
They subsequently developed romantic relationships with the victims and exploited their trust by requesting money under various false pretences, including claims that the funds were needed to support charitable activities or assist sick family members.
Investigators established that Hall and Akpieyi organised a company, Le Beau Monde LLC, which they allegedly used to facilitate the fraudulent financial transactions.
Hall deposited money obtained from victims into bank accounts operated in the name of the company before transferring the funds to other financial institutions, including foreign banks.
According to court records, Hall admitted responsibility for $851,207 in financial losses suffered by victims of the scheme.
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Co-Defendant Gets 25 Years in Prison
Akpieyi was convicted following a four-day jury trial in July 2025 and subsequently sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment by Judge Milazzo. He was remanded in custody after the trial and is currently serving his sentence in a federal correctional institution.
Court documents established that Akpieyi was responsible for more than $3.5 million in losses suffered by victims of the romance fraud operation.
Commenting on Hall’s failure to surrender, Courcelle said she had been convicted of defrauding vulnerable elderly Americans of their retirement savings.
“Her flight from the law demonstrates her utter disregard of our judicial system,” the US attorney said, adding that federal authorities would continue efforts to apprehend Hall and pursue anyone suspected of facilitating her failure to appear for her prison sentence.
Faces Additional 10 Years if Convicted
The new indictment exposes Hall to an additional maximum prison term of 10 years if convicted of failing to report to federal prison.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, any sentence imposed for the new offence would run consecutively to her existing eight-year sentence.
She also faces a possible fine of up to $250,000, a supervised release term of up to three years, and a mandatory assessment fee of $100.
The case has been assigned to US District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown under Criminal Action No. 26-255.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
