Nigerian Man Caught After Fleeing $100m US Tax Scam via Mexico and Benin

A 43-year-old Nigerian man who allegedly masterminded one of the largest stolen-identity tax fraud schemes in recent years has been hauled before a US court after a dramatic international manhunt that stretched from Atlanta to Mexico City and Benin Republic.

Akinade Adedeji Raheem was extradited from Benin last week and arraigned on Monday, October 26, 2026, in the Northern District of Georgia on a battery of federal charges including conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He remains in the custody of the US Marshals Service.

Prosecutors say Raheem and his alleged partners filed more than 300 false tax returns between 2018 and 2023, seeking over $100 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. The scheme allegedly relied on hundreds of stolen identities belonging to American taxpayers and tax professionals.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, Raheem, who lived in Atlanta during the period, teamed up with Abayomi Quadri Eletu, a dual resident of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, and other co-conspirators. The group allegedly created online IRS accounts to harvest sensitive personal information—names, addresses, and Social Security numbers—then used that data to file fraudulent returns. Refunds were directed onto prepaid debit cards mailed to addresses under their control.65d45control.

Once the money landed, the suspects allegedly laundered the proceeds by buying money orders in amounts low enough to dodge reporting thresholds. They used those money orders to purchase used cars from auction sites, some of which were shipped to Nigeria, along with designer clothing and other luxury items.

Federal agents tried to arrest Raheem at his Atlanta residence in April 2026. A man who identified himself as Raheem spoke to them through a video doorbell and claimed he was not home. Days later, investigators discovered he had booked a flight from Mexico City to Benin. He arrived in Benin on April 15 and was immediately arrested by local authorities under an INTERPOL Red Notice. Benin authorities completed his extradition last week—only the second time in history that the West African nation has extradited a suspect to the United States.8

Eletu was separately indicted on February 17, 2026, in the Western District of Texas. He was later arrested in the United Kingdom, where extradition proceedings are ongoing.

US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg described the alleged fraud as “staggering” in scale.

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“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,” he said. “Thanks to the dedication of the prosecution team and our law enforcement partners around the world, Raheem has been extradited to the United States, and his arrest confirms again that no alleged criminal can escape the reach of American justice.”

Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Texas Field Office stressed the broader damage. “Raheem is an alleged co-conspirator in a nationwide identity theft scheme that victimized hundreds of taxpayers. The fraud also stole from the US Treasury, impacting programmes serving us all.”

If convicted, Raheem faces up to 20 years in prison on the fraud conspiracy charge, another 20 years for money laundering, 10 years for access device fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence for each count of aggravated identity theft.

The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with significant support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, UK authorities, INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Benin, and several Beninese ministries and police units.

Authorities emphasised that an indictment contains only allegations. Both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.