US Extradites Nigerian Over Alleged $100m Tax Refund Fraud

The United States has extradited a Nigerian man, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, from the Republic of Benin to face federal charges over an alleged $100 million tax refund fraud scheme involving stolen identities and more than 300 fraudulent tax returns.

Raheem, 43, was arraigned in a federal court in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday, October 26, 2026, following his extradition to the United States. He was detained in the custody of the US Marshals Service pending further court proceedings.

According to US prosecutors, Raheem allegedly conspired with Abayomi Quadri Eletu and other accomplices between 2018 and 2023 to obtain fraudulent refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the US tax authority, by using the identities of American taxpayers and tax professionals.

The alleged scheme involved more than 300 fraudulent tax returns seeking over $100 million in refunds. However, the amount represents the value of the claims allegedly submitted and does not necessarily mean the full sum was paid out.

Investigators alleged that the group obtained confidential personal information, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers, by creating online accounts with the IRS and requesting private taxpayer records.

The suspects allegedly used the stolen information to file false tax returns and direct refund payments to prepaid debit cards under their control. They also allegedly changed taxpayers’ registered addresses and arranged for mail to be forwarded to locations where they could intercept correspondence from the tax authority.

In some cases, prosecutors alleged, members of the group impersonated legitimate taxpayers to verify their identities and facilitate the release of refunds.

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The alleged proceeds were subsequently moved through transactions designed to conceal their origins. Prosecutors said the suspects purchased money orders in amounts intended to avoid reporting thresholds and used them to buy used vehicles through auction platforms. Some of the vehicles were allegedly shipped to Nigeria, while other proceeds were spent on designer clothing and personal items.

US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said the alleged scheme involved hundreds of stolen identities and affected individual taxpayers as well as the US Treasury.

The investigation was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation division and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with assistance from other American and international law enforcement agencies.

Raheem’s extradition followed an international search. Federal agents reportedly attempted to arrest him at his residence in April 2026 but were unable to take him into custody.

Investigators later discovered that he had booked a flight from Mexico City to Benin. He arrived in Benin on April 15, 2026, and was arrested by local authorities pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice, an international request to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar legal proceedings.

Beninese authorities subsequently extradited him to the United States. US prosecutors described the transfer as the second extradition from Benin to the United States.

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted Raheem on February 24, 2026, on charges including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, 14 counts of access device fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft.

In plain language, the fraud conspiracy charge alleges that he worked with others to cheat victims through postal services or electronic communications. The money laundering charge alleges that the group agreed to conceal or disguise money believed to have come from criminal activity.

The access device fraud counts concern the alleged illegal use of payment cards or other devices and account details to obtain money or access funds. The aggravated identity theft counts allege the unauthorised use of other people’s identifying information in connection with certain serious crimes.

If convicted, Raheem faces substantial prison terms. The fraud conspiracy and money laundering charges each carry maximum penalties of up to 20 years, while the access device fraud charges carry up to 10 years. Each aggravated identity theft conviction carries a mandatory two-year prison term under applicable federal law, generally imposed consecutively to the sentence for the underlying offence. Actual sentences would depend on the convictions and applicable sentencing rules.

His alleged co-conspirator, Eletu, was separately indicted in the Western District of Texas on February 17, 2026. He was arrested in the United Kingdom, where extradition proceedings remain pending.

The case is being prosecuted by attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the Justice Department’s Tax Section.

Raheem has not been convicted of the allegations. He is presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in court.