GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Three people were sentenced Tuesday for running a romance scam that led to the death of a retired Jonesborough teacher, the Department of Justice said.

Stephen O. Anagor, 37, of Washington, received 108 months in prison. Chinagorom Onwumere, 36, received 84 months, and his wife Salma Abdalkareem, 29, received 51 months. Both are from New Jersey. All three must pay $388,500 in restitution to the victims, according to the DOJ.

Anagor and Onwumere met during military training in South Carolina in June 2023. Anagor recruited the couple to assist a relative in Nigeria with romance scams targeting elderly victims in the United States.

The scammers impersonated celebrities to convince victims they were in romantic relationships.

When the Jonesborough victim began what he

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