According to prosecutors, Hall was sentenced in January 2026 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering.
A 45-year-old Nigerian national, Emuobosan Emanuella Hall, has gone into hiding in the United States after failing to report to prison to begin serving an eight-year sentence over her role in a romance fraud scheme that targeted vulnerable victims.
U.S. authorities disclosed this in a statement posted on Ministry of Justice, noting that Hall, a permanent resident based in Atlanta, Georgia, is now wanted after she disobeyed a court order to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons by March 25, 2026.
According to prosecutors, Hall was sentenced in January 2026 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The charges stemmed from her involvement in a coordinated romance scam operation that preyed largely on older women.
Despite being granted the privilege to remain on bond ahead of her incarceration, Hall failed to show up. Investigators revealed that her last known location was the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 24, where her electronic monitoring device stopped transmitting.
Although she had earlier informed her probation officer that she would be travelling to Minnesota to report to prison, airline records showed she never boarded the flight.
Further checks of her phone records suggested she may have travelled instead to Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., raising suspicions that she deliberately absconded.
Authorities say Hall worked alongside her co-conspirator, Kenneth G. Akpieyi, to defraud victims through elaborate online deception.
The duo reportedly posed as high-profile individuals such as military generals, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs to gain the trust of their targets on social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
Victims were later persuaded to continue conversations on encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp, where the suspects built fake romantic relationships and solicited funds under false pretences, including medical emergencies and charitable causes.
Court documents showed that Hall used a company, Le Beau Monde LLC, to facilitate the laundering of proceeds from the scam.
She admitted responsibility for defrauding victims of $851,207, while Akpieyi was linked to losses exceeding $3.5 million. He was convicted after trial and is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence.
Reacting to Hall’s disappearance, U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle condemned her actions, describing her failure to report to prison as a blatant disregard for the law.
Authorities warn that if apprehended and convicted for failing to surrender, Hall faces an additional prison term of up to 10 years, which would run consecutively to her existing sentence. She could also be fined up to $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a manhunt and is calling on members of the public with useful information to come forward.
The case underscores growing concerns over transnational fraud networks exploiting digital platforms to target unsuspecting victims, often with devastating financial and emotional consequences.
Source: Sahara Reporters
