A 43-year-old Nigerian, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, has been extradited from the Republic of Benin to the USA to stand federal fees over an alleged $100 million tax refund fraud scheme involving stolen identities.
Raheem used to be arraigned on Monday and remanded into the custody of the USA Marshals Provider pending additional court docket court cases.
The USA Lawyer’s Workplace for the Northern District of Georgia disclosed this in a commentary revealed on its reputable website on Tuesday.
Consistent with the commentary, Raheem allegedly conspired with others to document greater than 300 fraudulent tax returns between 2018 and 2023, searching for over $100 million in refunds from the Interior Income Provider (IRS).
The alleged scheme concerned the use of the stolen identities of tax pros and American taxpayers to acquire fraudulent tax refunds, which have been due to this fact laundered via pay as you go debit playing cards, cash orders and purchases of used cars.
“Raheem and his co-conspirators allegedly bought loads of stolen identities, filed fraudulent tax returns the use of that data, and laundered the proceeds via pay as you go debit playing cards and purchases of used vehicles that have been shipped to Nigeria and different places,” U.S. Lawyer Theodore S. Hertzberg stated.
“The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering. Due to the willpower of the prosecution group and our regulation enforcement companions around the globe, Raheem has been extradited to the USA, and his arrest confirms once more that no alleged felony can break out the achieve of American justice.”
The commentary known Abayomi Quadri Eletu, a resident of the UK and Nigeria, as every other alleged conspirator within the scheme.
Consistent with prosecutors, Raheem, Eletu and different alleged accomplices bought delicate private data, together with names, addresses and Social Safety numbers, by means of developing on-line accounts with the IRS and soliciting for non-public taxpayer data.
They allegedly used the tips to document fraudulent tax returns. They advised the IRS to distribute the refunds by means of pay as you go debit playing cards despatched to addresses managed by means of team contributors.
Prosecutors additional alleged that Raheem and Eletu laundered one of the proceeds by means of buying cash orders in quantities low sufficient to steer clear of reporting thresholds.
The cash orders have been allegedly used to shop for used vehicles from public sale web sites, a few of which have been shipped to Nigeria, in addition to dressmaker clothes and different pieces.
Reacting to the case, Particular Agent in Rate of the IRS Felony Investigation Texas Box Workplace, Christopher J. Altemus Jr., stated the alleged scheme affected loads of taxpayers and defrauded america Treasury.
“Raheem is an alleged co-conspirator in a national identification robbery scheme that victimised loads of taxpayers. The fraud additionally stole from the U.S. Treasury, affecting methods that serve us all. Those include repercussions which can be long-lasting, which is why we position an international emphasis on arresting and extraditing those folks,” he stated.
He added, “Give protection to your tax returns with an identification coverage PIN at IRS.gov and know that we’re pursuing monetary criminals to take again the stolen cash and their freedom.”
In a similar way, Treasury Inspector Normal for Tax Management (TIGTA) Particular Agent-in-Rate Anthony Colello stated the investigation demonstrated the dedication of US government to bringing alleged monetary criminals to justice.
“The investigative efforts of the Treasury Inspector Normal for Tax Management (TIGTA) and its companions, along side the prosecutorial paintings of the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace, display the dedication to pursuing, shooting, and prosecuting those that attempt to defraud the American folks,” Colello stated.
The commentary stated US federal regulation enforcement brokers tried to arrest Raheem at his place of abode in April 2026 however spoke to a person who known himself as Raheem via a video doorbell and claimed he used to be no longer at house.
Lower than every week later, investigators reportedly found out that Raheem had booked a flight from Mexico Town to the Republic of Benin.
He arrived in Benin on April 15, 2026, and used to be arrested by means of native government pursuant to an INTERPOL Crimson Understand.
Benin government due to this fact extradited him to the USA ultimate week. The USA Lawyer’s Workplace described the switch as best the second one extradition from Benin to the USA in historical past.
A federal grand jury within the Northern District of Georgia had indicted Raheem on February 24, 2026, on one rely of conspiracy to devote cord and mail fraud, one rely of conspiracy to devote cash laundering, 14 counts of get entry to tool fraud and 14 counts of annoyed identification robbery.
If convicted, he faces a most of two decades in jail for conspiracy to devote mail and cord fraud, every other two decades for conspiracy to devote cash laundering and as much as 10 years for get entry to tool fraud. The annoyed identification robbery rate carries a compulsory two-year jail sentence.
In the meantime, Eletu used to be indicted within the Western District of Texas on February 17, 2026. He used to be later arrested in the UK, the place extradition court cases are ongoing.
The case is being investigated by means of the IRS Felony Investigation department and TIGTA, with the help of US and global regulation enforcement businesses.
The USA Lawyer’s Workplace, alternatively, emphasized that the indictment incorporates allegations and that the defendants are presumed blameless except confirmed in charge past a cheap doubt in court docket.
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