Sham Marriage, Tax Fraud: Kazeem Faces Denaturalisation in US

Sham Marriage, Tax Fraud: Kazeem Faces Denaturalisation in US

The administration of Donald Trump has initiated moves to denaturalise Nigerian-born Oluwatosin Kazeem, convicted of orchestrating a $12 million tax fraud scheme, despite a sentence commutation previously granted by Joe Biden.

The United States Department of Justice is seeking to revoke Kazeem’s U.S. citizenship, arguing that it was obtained through fraud, deception, and sham marriages.

Kazeem was investigated, tried, and convicted between 2015 and 2017, before being sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in June 2018 by a U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Maryland. However, his sentence was commuted to six years in December 2024, a move that reduced his jail term but did not erase his conviction.

According to U.S. prosecutors, Kazeem ran a large-scale identity theft and tax fraud operation, using stolen personal data of thousands of Americans to file fraudulent tax returns.

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Investigations by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revealed that:

• He purchased over 90,000 stolen identities from a foreign hacker
• Attempted to fraudulently claim up to $91 million in tax refunds
• Successfully obtained between $11 million and $12 million between 2012 and 2015

The case first came to light in 2013 after an Oregon couple reported that fraudulent tax returns were filed using their personal information, triggering a federal probe that exposed the wider scheme.

Authorities said Kazeem also trained accomplices, including his younger brother, on how to exploit stolen personal identifiable information (PII) to bypass IRS security systems.

Further investigations uncovered that Kazeem laundered proceeds of the fraud into assets in both the United States and Nigeria, including:

• A planned $6 million luxury hotel project in Lagos
• A $200,000 deposit for a home in Maryland
• Another property worth $175,000 in Maryland

In an attempt to evade authorities, he allegedly transferred ownership of properties to his sister in Nigeria, but was arrested shortly after and later convicted on 19 counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy.

In addition to financial crimes, the Justice Department said Kazeem entered into sham marriages with two U.S. citizens solely to obtain permanent residency and eventual citizenship — a key factor now being used to justify his denaturalisation.

“U.S. citizenship is a privilege, and we will continue to ask courts to revoke a status that was obtained through fraud and deceit,” said Brett A. Shumate.

Legal analysts note that while Biden’s commutation reduced Kazeem’s prison sentence, it does not prevent civil proceedings such as denaturalisation or possible deportation.

If the court grants the request, Kazeem could lose his citizenship and face removal from the United States after completing his sentence.

The case highlights a broader push by the Trump administration to tighten enforcement against immigration fraud and financial crimes, particularly involving individuals who obtained citizenship under false pretences.

Sham Marriage, Tax Fraud: Kazeem Faces Denaturalisation in US