A Nigerian national and U.S. permanent resident, Emuobosan Emanuella Hall, has been declared wanted after failing to report to prison to begin serving an eight-year sentence for her role in a romance fraud scheme.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana confirmed that a federal arrest warrant was issued on April 14, 2026, following her failure to surrender as ordered. The warrant was signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Phillips Currault.
U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle disclosed that Hall, who was sentenced in January 2026, is now at large after evading custody.
Court filings show that Hall was initially charged in April 2024 by a federal grand jury in New Orleans with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as money laundering. She was arrested in Atlanta, granted bail, and later pleaded guilty.
In January 2026, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced her to 96 months in prison but allowed her to remain on bond on the condition that she report to a designated Federal Bureau of Prisons facility by March 25, 2026. She failed to comply.
Investigators revealed that GPS data from her monitoring device last placed her at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 24, where the device stopped transmitting. Although she had provided flight details to Minnesota, records showed she did not board the flight. Instead, phone data suggested she travelled to Dulles International Airport.
Hall was convicted for participating in a romance scam targeting mostly older women. Alongside her co-defendant, Kenneth G. Akpieyi, she posed as high-profile individuals such as military generals and entrepreneurs, using platforms like Facebook and Instagram before shifting conversations to encrypted channels like WhatsApp.
Victims were manipulated into sending money under false pretences, including fake medical emergencies and charitable causes. Prosecutors said both individuals operated a company, Le Beau Monde LLC, to facilitate the fraud, with Hall handling financial transactions across multiple accounts, including foreign banks.
Hall admitted responsibility for losses totalling $851,207, while Akpieyi—who was convicted after trial in July 2025—was held accountable for over $3.5 million and is currently serving a 25-year sentence.
Authorities warned that if apprehended and convicted for failing to report to prison, Hall faces an additional 10-year sentence, which would run consecutively to her existing term, alongside fines and supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) New Orleans Field Office led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne heading the prosecution.
