Nigerian Adetunji Abudu Arrested for Fraud Scheme in US

Adetunji Abudu, a 34-year-old Nigerian man from Lagos, was arrested at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, while attempting to enter the United States from Istanbul, Turkey. He is accused of involvement in a fraud and money-laundering scheme that targeted elderly Americans.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island stated that Abudu fled to Nigeria in 2019 after the FBI executed a court-authorized search of his residence in North Providence. He is one of six defendants charged in a superseding indictment alleging that millions of dollars obtained through various fraud schemes, including online romance scams and fraudulent sweepstakes, were laundered through bank accounts and businesses in the US.

The indictment claims that the proceeds were ultimately sent to Nigeria, with some being used to purchase vehicles that were shipped overseas. Five of Abudu’s co-defendants have pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy, receiving sentences ranging from time served to 42 months’ imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney John P. McAdams and was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the US Postal Inspection Service and local police departments.