DES MOINES — A 67-year-old Des Moines woman has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for her role in a Nigerian email scam.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa says Victoria Lovan was sentenced Tuesday for three counts of wire fraud, to which she had pleaded guilty. At least 89 victims sent Lovan money.
Prosecutors say Lovan communicated between late 2012 and October 2014 with individuals who persuaded her to accept money wires from victims across the country, then send the money wires to Nigeria. Prosecutors say Lovan kept a portion of the funds she received.
The victims sent Lovan money because of fictional stories of hardship and promises of financial gain. Prosecutors say Lovan continued to engage in fraudulent financial transactions despite being told by law enforcement to stop.