Indianapolis man accused of laundering money from romance scam

An Indianapolis man is accused of conspiring to launder money that was illegally obtained from elderly victims of fraud.

Ismaila Fafunmi, 33, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years and a $500,000 fine, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

According to the DOJ, a woman in Eastern Kentucky was tricked into believing that a person she met on a dating app was a member of the military and that the two were in a romantic relationship. The woman sent the man money, electronics and other items and gave access to her bank account. She was also convinced to obtain a home equity line of credit to pay for the man's separation fee from the military. In doing so, she lost around $200,000.

A second woman, the DOJ said, was defrauded into believing a Facebook friend had directed her to an opportunity to win a grant. She sent the Facebook friend around $183,000, believing it would lead to her securing the grant money.

Investigators say a portion of the money obtained from both victims was sent either directly to Fafunmi or to people he recruited to receive money in bank accounts he had them set up in and around the Indianapolis.

Robert Duncan Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, is prosecuting the case. The FBI investigated. A court date has not yet been set.

Contact IndyStar reporter Elizabeth DePompei at 317-444-6196 or edepompei@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @edepompei.