Akinade Adedeji Raheem, a Nigerian citizen who allegedly conspired to file fraudulent tax returns seeking over $100 million in refunds using stolen identities, was arraigned yesterday on federal fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft charges after his extradition from Benin.
“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 U.S. 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.”
“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,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr., of IRS-CI’s Texas Field Office. “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 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,” said TIGTA Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Colello.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between 2018 and 2023, Raheem, who resided in Atlanta, and Abayomi Quadri Eletu, a resident of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, conspired together and with others to claim fraudulent tax refunds using the stolen identities of accountants and American taxpayers. Over the course of their scheme, they allegedly filed more than 300 false tax returns claiming over $100 million in refunds from the IRS.
Raheem, Eletu, and others allegedly obtained sensitive identifying information for tax professionals and taxpayers, including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, by creating online accounts with the IRS and requesting private taxpayer information. Using the personal identifying information of others, Raheem, Eletu, and their co-conspirators allegedly filed tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds and then directed the IRS to split the refunds among prepaid debit cards shipped to addresses controlled by the co-conspirators.
After the refunds were deposited onto the prepaid debit cards, Raheem and Eletu laundered some of the funds by purchasing, among other things, money orders in amounts low enough to avoid reporting thresholds. They also used the money orders to purchase used cars from auction sites, some of which they shipped to Nigeria, as well as designer clothing and other items.
In April 2026, federal law enforcement agents sought to arrest Raheem at his residence and spoke to a man who identified himself as Raheem through a video doorbell and stated he was not home. Less than a week later, agents learned that Raheem booked a flight from Mexico City to Benin. On April 15, 2026, Raheem flew into Benin and was arrested by local authorities pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice. Last week, Benin authorities extradited Raheem to the United States, which was the second extradition to the United States from Benin in history.
Yesterday, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, 43, of Nigeria, was arraigned on a federal indictment and detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings. On February 24, 2026, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted Raheem 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. 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.
On February 17, 2026, Eletu was indicted in the Western District of Texas. He was later arrested in the United Kingdom, where extradition proceedings are pending.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. 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.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and TIGTA. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service provided significant assistance in this matter. The United States also thanks the United Kingdom for its valuable assistance in the investigation and INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Benin and Benin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Justice’s Office of Judiciary Cooperation; and Ministry of Interior, including the Directorate General of the Police Republicaine; the Airport Police; and the Police Special Operations Group for their valuable assistance in securing Raheem’s arrest and extradition.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian Pearce of the Northern District of Georgia, and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Michael Jones of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section, are prosecuting the case.
