An East Hartford man was sentenced in Des Moines, Iowa, to nine years in prison and ordered to pay back $1.5 million to his victims for a nationwide romance scam.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Naabanyin Aniagyei-Cobbold, 30, played a part in an extensive romance scam conspiracy where he created fake profiles on internet dating sites and other social media platforms to exploit victims.

Officials say Aniagyei-Cobbold operated a fake company, Alpha Distributions LLC, that he used to receive money from victims. They say Aniagyei-Cobbold recruited and coached at least one other individual by creating a sham entity, a website and opening bank accounts, all for the purpose of receiving money from romance scam victims.

Many victims drained their retirement accounts, sold their homes and vehicles, returned to work after retirement and borrowed substantial sums from friends and family, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Iowa.

The FBI says when they confronted Aniagyei-Cobbold, he lied about the nature of Alpha Distributions LLC and why the victims were sending him so much money. They say he claimed Alpha Distributions was a legitimate company used to source electronics for individuals in Africa.

They say he produced false invoices, receipts and other documentation in response to a federal grand jury subpoena to hinder the investigation.