A Nigerian national and United States permanent resident, Emuobosan Emanuella Hall, has been declared wanted after failing to report to prison to begin serving an eight-year sentence over a romance scam, in a development that could earn her an additional decade behind bars.
Authorities in the United States said Hall’s disappearance triggered the issuance of a federal arrest warrant after she allegedly absconded ahead of her scheduled surrender date.
The United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Louisiana disclosed that a U.S. Magistrate Judge, Donna Phillips Currault, approved a criminal complaint and arrest warrant on April 14, 2026, following her failure to report to custody.
U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle confirmed that Hall, who was sentenced in January 2026, is currently on the run after missing the March 25 deadline to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons.
Investigators said tracking data from her monitoring device placed her last known location at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 24, where the signal abruptly stopped.
Although she had earlier submitted travel details indicating she would fly to Minnesota, authorities said airline records showed she never boarded the flight, while phone data suggested she may have travelled toward the Washington, D.C. area.
Court filings revealed that Hall had pleaded guilty to participating in a transnational romance fraud scheme that primarily targeted older women.
Her co-conspirator, Kenneth G. Akpieyi, was earlier convicted after trial and handed a 25-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors said the syndicate lured victims through social media platforms, posing as high-profile individuals such as military officers and philanthropists before manipulating them into sending money under false pretences.
The duo reportedly operated through a company, Le Beau Monde LLC, which was used to receive and transfer illicit funds across multiple accounts, including overseas destinations.
Authorities said Hall admitted involvement in losses exceeding 851,000 dollars, while her accomplice was linked to over 3.5 million dollars in fraudulent proceeds.
Reacting, Courcelle said the suspect’s failure to report to prison demonstrated blatant disregard for the law, vowing that authorities would pursue the case to its conclusion.
Officials warned that if apprehended and convicted for failing to surrender, Hall risks an additional 10-year prison term, separate from her initial sentence, alongside fines and supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with prosecutors reiterating their resolve to clamp down on fraud schemes targeting vulnerable individuals.