Nigerian extradited from Benin to US over alleged $100m tax fraud.
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A 43-year-old Nigerian, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, has been extradited from Benin to the United States to face federal charges over an alleged scheme involving more than $100 million in fraudulent tax refund claims using stolen identities.
Raheem was arraigned in a US federal court following his extradition and ordered detained in the custody of the US Marshals Service pending further proceedings, according to the US Department of Justice.
Prosecutors alleged that Raheem and his co-conspirators filed more than 300 fraudulent tax returns between 2018 and 2023, seeking over $100 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Hertzberg said the alleged operation involved hundreds of stolen identities and significant financial losses. “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,” Hertzberg said. “The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering.
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