ATLANTA - A Nigerian citizen was arraigned in Atlanta after being extradited from Benin to face federal charges for his alleged role in a $100 million stolen identity tax fraud scheme.
What we know:
Federal authorities arraigned 43-year-old Nigerian citizen Akinade Adedeji Raheem yesterday in Atlanta following his extradition from Benin.
An indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia on Feb. 24 charges Raheem with 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 was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Between 2018 and 2023, Raheem lived in Atlanta and conspired with Abayomi Quadri Eletu, a resident of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, alongside others.
Prosecutors say the group created online accounts with the IRS to steal sensitive identifying information—including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers—from tax professionals and taxpayers.
They allegedly filed more than 300 fraudulent tax returns seeking over $100 million in refunds.
"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," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said. "The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering."
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the exact date for Raheem's next court appearance or trial.
It remains unknown how many individual taxpayers were impacted nationwide beyond the hundreds noted in court filings.
Timeline:
Federal law enforcement agents tried to arrest Raheem at his Atlanta residence in April.
Raheem spoke to agents through a video doorbell, identifying himself and claiming he was not home. Less than a week later, agents discovered he had booked a flight from Mexico City to Benin.
On April 15, Raheem fled into Benin and was arrested by local authorities under an INTERPOL Red Notice.
Authorities in Benin extradited him to the United States last week, marking only the second extradition from Benin to the U.S. in history.
By the numbers:
If convicted, Raheem faces up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering, and 10 years for access device fraud.
He also faces a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft.
The IRS deposited the fraudulent refunds onto prepaid debit cards controlled by the co-conspirators.
Raheem and Eletu then purchased money orders in low amounts to avoid reporting thresholds, using them to buy designer clothing and used cars at auction, some of which were shipped to Nigeria.
What's next:
Co-defendant Eletu was indicted in the Western District of Texas on Feb. 17.
He was arrested in the United Kingdom, where extradition proceedings remain pending.
Prosecutors emphasize that indictments contain only charges, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg of the Northern District of Georgia, who detailed the indictment, arrest, and extradition in an official statement, as well as press statements from IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.