United States law enforcement authorities have arraigned a Nigerian, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, over an alleged scheme to claim more than $100 million in tax refunds using stolen identities.
Raheem, 43, was extradited from the Republic of Benin, where
he was arrested in April, to face federal charges of fraud, money laundering
and aggravated identity theft.
He was arraigned on a federal indictment on Monday and
remanded in the custody of the US Marshals Service pending further proceedings
According to a statement issued by the US attorney’s office
on Tuesday, Raheem and his alleged co-conspirators filed more than 300 false
tax returns between 2018 and 2023 using the identities of tax professionals and
American taxpayers.
Prosecutors said Raheem, who lived in Atlanta, worked with
Abayomi Quadri Eletu, a resident of the United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria, and
others to obtain personal information, including names, addresses and social
security numbers.
They allegedly used the information to file fraudulent
returns and instructed the internal revenue service (IRS) to deposit refunds
onto prepaid debit cards sent to addresses they controlled.
According to the US authorities, some of the proceeds were
laundered through money orders and used to buy second-hand cars at auctions,
some of which were shipped to Nigeria. The funds were also allegedly spent on
designer clothing and other items.
“The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering,” Theodore
Hertzberg, US attorney, said.
According to prosecutors, federal agents attempted to arrest
Raheem at his home in April. They said a man who identified himself as Raheem
spoke to them through a video doorbell and said he was not home.
Less than a week later, agents learnt that Raheem had booked
a flight from Mexico City to Benin. He arrived in Benin on April 15 and was
arrested by local authorities following an INTERPOL red notice.
The US attorney’s office said Raheem was extradited last
week, marking the second such extradition from Benin.
A federal grand jury in Georgia indicted him on February 24
on multiple charges.
Raheem 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, as well as a mandatory sentence of two years for
aggravated identity theft.
Prosecutors said Eletu was separately indicted in Texas on
February 17 and was later arrested in the UK, where extradition proceedings are
pending.
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