Two Nigerian men face multiple federal charges in the U.S. for a conspiracy to defraud the IRS through stolen identities, fake tax refunds, and money laundering.
Indictments unsealed Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Georgia’s Northern District and Texas’s Western District name Akinade Adedeji Raheem, 43, of Atlanta, and Abayomi Quadri Eletu, 42, of the UK and Nigeria. They allegedly worked with others to steal accountants’ and taxpayers’ info, file fraudulent returns, and redirect refunds to prepaid debit cards.
The scheme involved submitting USPS “change of address” requests to intercept IRS verification letters. Posing as victims, conspirators verified identities over the phone to release funds.
Key Charges
Both face:
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Conspiracy to commit mail/wire fraud (max 20 years).
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Conspiracy to commit money laundering (max 20 years).
Eletu also charged with:
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5 counts mail fraud.
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3 counts wire fraud.
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7 counts access device fraud (max 10 years each).
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21 counts aggravated identity theft (mandatory 2 years each).
Raheem also charged with:
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14 counts access device fraud.
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14 counts aggravated identity theft.
The announcement came from Assistant AG A. Tysen Duva and U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. IRS Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, DOJ’s Office of International Affairs, the UK, and Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office aided the probe. Prosecution is led by Michael C. Boteler, Michael Jones, and Brian Pearce.
