Nigerian Akinade Raheem Extradited for $100M Fraud Scheme

Akinade Adedeji Raheem, a 43-year-old Nigerian, has been extradited from the Republic of Benin to the United States to face federal charges related to an alleged $100 million tax refund fraud scheme involving identity theft. Raheem was arraigned on Monday and is currently in the custody of the United States Marshals Service.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced that Raheem allegedly conspired with others to file more than 300 fraudulent tax returns from 2018 to 2023, seeking over $100 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The scheme involved using stolen identities of tax professionals and American taxpayers.

Raheem and his co-conspirators allegedly laundered the proceeds through prepaid debit cards and purchases of used vehicles. U.S.

Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg stated that the fraud's scope is staggering, and the extradition demonstrates that no alleged criminal can evade American justice. Abayomi Quadri Eletu is identified as another alleged conspirator.