Three U-S.-based Nigerians, Adetunji Adejumo, Ibrahim Jinadu and Olufemi Odedeyi have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to their roles in a transnational tax fraud scheme.
Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. While Adejumo and Jinadu are already in U.S. custody, the third conspirator, Odedeyi is being held in London, United Kingdom pending extradition for his role in the scheme.
Adejumo, Jinadu and Odedeyi were arrested in September 2021.
Tampa Florida U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg, who announced the convictions on Monday, said that according to the plea agreements, the international conspirators (including Odedeyi) obtained unauthorized access to computer servers of businesses in the United States; participated in stealing from those servers the personally identifying information of U.S. residents; and used that information to file false and fraudulent federal tax forms seeking income tax refunds from the IRS.
Adejumo and Jinadu, residing in the United States collected fraud proceeds directed to prepaid debit cards in their possession or to bank accounts they controlled or to which they had access. They then transferred a share of the fraud proceeds to other conspirators.
The conspirators filed tax returns claiming millions of dollars in refunds to which they were not entitled.
The investigation was led by the IRS – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) (Tampa Field Office) and the FBI (Tampa Division). Substantial assistance was provided by the IRS-CI Cyber Crimes Unit (Washington, DC), the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the IRS-CI and FBI International Operations at Mission UK, the United Kingdom’s National Extradition Unit, and IRS-CI Dallas and Atlanta Field Offices.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.
@Reuters