A Nigerian man, Akinade Raheem, has been extradited from Benin to the United States to face federal charges over an alleged tax fraud scheme involving more than $100m in fraudulent refund claims.
According to a Tuesday statement by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, 43-year-old Raheem was arraigned on Monday following his extradition and detained in the custody of the US Marshals Service pending further proceedings.
The office said Raheem allegedly conspired with Abayomi Eletu and others between 2018 and 2023 to file more than 300 false tax returns using stolen identities to claim over $100m in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service.
“Raheem and his co-conspirators allegedly obtained hundreds of stolen identities, filed fraudulent tax returns using that information, and laundered the proceeds through prepaid debit cards and purchases of used cars that were shipped to Nigeria and other locations,” said US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.
“The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering. Thanks to the dedication of the prosecution team and our law enforcement partners around the world, Raheem has been extradited to the United States, and his arrest confirms again that no alleged criminal can escape the reach of American justice,” he added.
According to the statement, the defendants allegedly obtained sensitive personal information belonging to tax professionals and taxpayers, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers, by creating online accounts with the IRS and requesting private taxpayer information.
The office said Raheem, Eletu and their alleged co-conspirators used the stolen information to file tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds, directing the payments to prepaid debit cards shipped to addresses they controlled.
The statement added that Raheem and Eletu allegedly laundered some of the proceeds by purchasing money orders in amounts low enough to avoid reporting thresholds.
They allegedly used the money orders to buy used cars from auction sites, some of which were shipped to Nigeria, as well as designer clothing and other items, according to the office.
The Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Texas Field Office, Christopher J. Altemus Jr., said the alleged scheme victimised hundreds of taxpayers and affected the US Treasury.
“Raheem is an alleged co-conspirator in a nationwide identity theft scheme that victimized hundreds of taxpayers. The fraud also stole from the U.S. Treasury, impacting programs serving us all. These come with repercussions that are long lasting, which is why we place a global emphasis on arresting and extraditing these individuals,” Altemus said.
He added, “Protect your tax returns with an identity protection pin at IRS.gov and know that we are pursuing financial criminals to take back the stolen money and their freedom.”
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s Special Agent-in-Charge, Anthony Colello, said the investigation demonstrated the commitment of the agencies involved to tackling fraud.
“The investigative efforts of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and its partners, along with the prosecutorial work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, demonstrate the commitment to pursuing, capturing, and prosecuting those who try to defraud the American people,” Colello said.
The statement detailed how investigators tracked Raheem before his arrest in Benin.
In April 2026, federal law enforcement agents attempted to arrest him at his residence. According to the office, the agents spoke through a video doorbell to a man who identified himself as Raheem and said he was not home.
Less than a week later, investigators learnt that Raheem had booked a flight from Mexico City to Benin, the statement said.
He arrived in Benin on April 15, 2026, and was arrested by local authorities pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice. Benin authorities extradited him to the United States the following week, in what the office described as the second extradition from Benin to the US in history.
A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted Raheem on February 24, 2026, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, 14 counts of access device fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the statement, he faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering and 10 years for access device fraud. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory two-year sentence.
The office also disclosed that Eletu, who resides in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, was indicted in the Western District of Texas on February 17, 2026. He was later arrested in the UK, where extradition proceedings are pending.
The case is being investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and TIGTA. The statement also acknowledged assistance from the US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the United Kingdom and authorities in Benin.
The office said Assistant US Attorney Brian Pearce of the Northern District of Georgia, alongside Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Michael Jones of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section, would prosecute the case.
The US Attorney’s Office reminded the public that the indictment contains allegations and that the defendants are presumed innocent.
“The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial,” the statement said.