A 43-year-old Nigerian, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, has been extradited from the Republic of Benin to the United States to face charges over an alleged tax refund fraud scheme involving more than $100 million.
The United States Department of Justice disclosed that Raheem was arraigned on Monday in Atlanta, Georgia, following his extradition the previous week. He is facing charges bordering on fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.
According to the department, Raheem and his alleged accomplices filed more than 300 fraudulent tax returns between 2018 and 2023, seeking over $100 million in refunds from the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Prosecutors alleged that the group used stolen identities belonging to American taxpayers and accountants to obtain sensitive personal information, including names, residential addresses and Social Security numbers.
The indictment stated that the suspects allegedly created online accounts with the IRS to gain access to confidential taxpayer information. They were also accused of redirecting official correspondence to addresses under their control.
Using the stolen information, the group allegedly submitted fraudulent tax returns and instructed the IRS to issue the refunds through prepaid debit cards delivered to addresses controlled by the suspects.
The Justice Department further alleged that some of the proceeds were laundered through money orders purchased in amounts intended to avoid financial reporting requirements.
Prosecutors claimed that Raheem and his alleged accomplices used the proceeds to purchase used vehicles at auctions, with some reportedly shipped to Nigeria. The money was also allegedly spent on designer clothing and other items.
The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Theodore S. Hertzberg, described the alleged operation as a major fraud scheme involving hundreds of stolen identities and taxpayers across the country.
Hertzberg said the scale of the alleged fraud was significant, adding that Raheem’s extradition demonstrated the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies across international borders.
Court documents showed 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 could face up to 20 years in prison for the fraud conspiracy charge and another 20 years for the money laundering conspiracy charge. The access device fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years, while aggravated identity theft attracts a mandatory two-year prison term.
The US authorities disclosed that Raheem was arrested in the Republic of Benin on April 15, 2026, following an INTERPOL Red Notice. He was reportedly arrested after travelling from Mexico City and had previously lived in Atlanta.
The Justice Department described the extradition as only the second known case of an individual being extradited from the Republic of Benin to the United States.
Another defendant, Abayomi Quadri Eletu, who is said to reside in both the United Kingdom and Nigeria, was also indicted in February in connection with the alleged scheme. He was subsequently arrested in the United Kingdom, where extradition proceedings are ongoing.
Raheem remains in the custody of the US Marshals Service while awaiting further court proceedings.
The US Department of Justice emphasised that the charges contained in the indictment are allegations and that Raheem is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
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