Two Nigerians, Akinade Raheem and Abayomi Eletu, are facing a combined maximum of 100 years’ imprisonment in the United States over their alleged involvement in a $100m tax fraud scheme targeting the Internal Revenue Service.
According to a statement released by the US Department of Justice, the duo allegedly conspired with others between 2018 and 2023 to fraudulently obtain tax refunds by stealing and exploiting the identities of taxpayers and tax professionals.
Raheem, 43, and Eletu, 42—said to be residents of the United States and the United Kingdom respectively—were accused of filing over 300 false tax returns, claiming more than $100m in refunds from the IRS.
The suspects allegedly used stolen personal information, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers, to create fraudulent IRS online accounts and access confidential taxpayer data.
They were subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts bordering on identity theft and access device fraud.
While Eletu faces additional counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, Raheem was slammed with several counts of access device fraud and identity theft.
US prosecutors disclosed that the defendants could each face up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, another 20 years for money laundering, and 10 years for access device fraud, in addition to a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly altered victims’ addresses to locations controlled by their accomplices, enabling them to intercept correspondence from the IRS without alerting the legitimate taxpayers.
Authorities further alleged that proceeds of the fraud were laundered through the purchase of money orders in amounts deliberately kept below reporting thresholds, with funds deposited into prepaid debit cards.
Part of the illicit funds was reportedly used to acquire used vehicles from auction platforms, some of which were shipped to Nigeria, as well as designer clothing and other luxury items.
The indictments against the suspects were unsealed in the Northern District of Georgia and the Western District of Texas.
Eletu has since been arrested in the United Kingdom at the request of US authorities, while efforts to prosecute both suspects are ongoing.
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