Nigerians Charged in $100M IRS Fraud Scheme

Akinad Adedeji Raheem, 43, based in Atlanta, and Abayomi Quadri Eletu, 42, residing in the United Kingdom, have been indicted for orchestrating a large-scale tax fraud scheme that allegedly sought to siphon over $100 million from the IRS. The indictment, unsealed on Wednesday, details a multi-year conspiracy involving mail and wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.

Prosecutors allege that the defendants, alongside co-conspirators, filed approximately 300 fraudulent tax returns between 2018 and 2023, claiming refunds that exceeded $100 million by impersonating legitimate taxpayers. The suspects reportedly obtained sensitive personal data, including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, to create fraudulent online accounts with the IRS and bypass verification safeguards.

Eletu is also accused of directing Raheem to procure prepaid debit cards to receive the fraudulent refunds, which were then laundered through structured transactions to avoid regulatory reporting thresholds. Eletu was arrested in the United Kingdom at the request of U.S. authorities.

Both defendants face multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.