A 43-year-old Nigerian, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, has been arraigned in the United States over an alleged scheme to obtain more than $100 million in fraudulent tax refunds using stolen identities.
Raheem appeared before a federal court following his extradition from the Republic of Benin. He faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the United States Department of Justice, the alleged scheme operated between 2018 and 2023 and involved Raheem, Abayomi Quadri Eletu, a man described as residing in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, and other alleged co-conspirators.
US prosecutors said the group allegedly filed more than 300 fraudulent tax returns seeking over $100 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Alleged Use of Stolen Taxpayer Identities
Investigators allege that the suspects obtained sensitive personal information belonging to accountants and American taxpayers, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers.
According to the indictment, the information was allegedly obtained through online IRS accounts used to request private taxpayer records. The stolen identities were then allegedly used to submit false tax returns seeking refunds.
Prosecutors further alleged that the refunds were directed to prepaid debit cards sent to addresses controlled by members of the group.
The indictment states that Raheem and Eletu allegedly laundered some of the proceeds through financial transactions designed to avoid reporting thresholds.
The funds were allegedly used to purchase money orders, designer clothing and used vehicles acquired through auction platforms. Some of the vehicles were reportedly shipped to Nigeria and other destinations.
The US authorities have described the alleged operation as a large-scale identity theft scheme that targeted hundreds of taxpayers and sought to defraud the American Treasury.
Arrest and Extradition
The Department of Justice said US agents sought to arrest Raheem at his residence in April 2026 but were unable to locate him at the time.
Investigators later learned that he had booked a flight from Mexico City to Benin. He arrived in Benin on April 15 and was arrested by local authorities pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice.
Benin subsequently extradited him to the United States to face the federal charges.
Raheem was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia on February 24, 2026. Following his arraignment, he was detained in the custody of the US Marshals Service pending further proceedings.
Eletu was separately indicted in the Western District of Texas in February 2026 and was later arrested in the United Kingdom, where extradition proceedings were reported to be pending.
Potential Penalties
The charges against Raheem carry substantial potential penalties if he is convicted. The Department of Justice said the alleged conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while conspiracy to commit money laundering also carries a maximum of 20 years.
Access device fraud carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years, while aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory additional two-year sentence under the applicable law.
These are potential penalties, not a prediction of the outcome of the case. Any sentence would depend on the charges proved, applicable law and the court’s decision.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with assistance from law enforcement and judicial authorities in several countries.
Raheem has been charged but not convicted. Under US law, he is presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt in court.