US Extradites Nigerian Over Alleged $100m Tax Refund Fraud

A 43-year-old Nigerian, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, has been extradited from the Republic of Benin to the United States to face federal charges over an alleged tax refund fraud scheme involving more than $100m.

The US Department of Justice said Raheem was arraigned on Monday in Atlanta, Georgia, on charges of fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft after his extradition the previous week.

According to the department, Raheem and his alleged co-conspirators filed more than 300 fraudulent tax returns between 2018 and 2023, seeking over $100m in refunds from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Prosecutors alleged that the group used stolen identities belonging to American taxpayers and accountants to obtain personal information, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers.

The indictment stated that the suspects allegedly created online accounts with the IRS to access private taxpayer information and redirected correspondence to addresses they controlled.

Using the stolen information, they allegedly submitted fraudulent tax returns and instructed the IRS to distribute the refunds through prepaid debit cards sent to addresses controlled by the group.

The department said some of the proceeds were subsequently laundered through money orders purchased in amounts designed to avoid reporting thresholds.

Raheem and his alleged co-conspirators also used the money to purchase used vehicles at auction, some of which were shipped to Nigeria, as well as designer clothing and other items, according to prosecutors.

US Attorney Theodore S Hertzberg said the alleged scheme involved hundreds of stolen identities and affected taxpayers across the country.

“The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering,” Hertzberg said, adding that Raheem’s extradition demonstrated cooperation between law enforcement agencies across national borders.

Court records show that a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted Raheem on February 24, 2026.

He faces 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.

If convicted, Raheem faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the fraud conspiracy charge, 20 years for money laundering conspiracy and 10 years for access device fraud. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence.

The US authorities said Raheem was arrested in the Republic of Benin on April 15, 2026, under an INTERPOL Red Notice after travelling from Mexico City. He had previously lived in Atlanta.

His extradition marks the second time a person has been extradited from the Republic of Benin to the United States, according to the Justice Department.

A second defendant, Abayomi Quadri Eletu, who is described as a resident of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, was separately indicted in February over the alleged scheme. He was arrested in the United Kingdom, where extradition proceedings are pending.

Raheem remains in the custody of the US Marshals Service pending further court proceedings.

The Justice Department stressed that the indictment contains allegations and that Raheem is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.